Sailor Moon: The Shadow of Silver Millennium
by metalgear
Summary: Years after the Sailor Scouts' last battle with evil, the Shadows - a dark and mysterious order that once served Queen Serenity - return to threaten the peace they fought so hard for. Faced with enemies that have honed their powers and skills to defeat them, the Sailor Scouts' best hope is a lone Shadow still loyal to them - but can they trust him? Based on the classic anime!
1. Chapter 1: The Light of the Moon

**Chapter 1: The Light of the Moon**

I opened my eyes and found myself in a hotel room. I had fallen asleep on my couch: at least I could blame the Japanese cartoons I had been watching for my vivid dream. I tried to remember the throne room, the Queen, and the Princess, but the details had slipped away by the time I opened the curtain window. I saw the Tokyo skyscrapers in front of me, covering the setting sun. I'd never been to Japan before: it was such a beautiful sight. I still daydreamed of getting a job and visiting here once in a while, but I was just a visitor for the week. I hoped to find somewhere quiet to eat and enjoy the sights without the usual hustle and bustle. Unfortunately, the closest place that I could find in a Texas-Style Western BBQ...not exactly the sort of place I came a long way to visit...

"Howdy, partner! My name's Serena! Can I rustle ya sumthin' from the ole waterin' hole?" The waitress who greeted me was a perky blonde with buns, long hair and blue eyes. I guessed she was in her late teens or early twenties - definitely younger than I was, but at least she didn't call me 'sir'. Her 'southern' accent definitely needed some work.

"I'm, uh...having a bit of trouble reading the menu," I admitted awkwardly.

She gasped. "Are you American? I went to school in America - well, I didn't finish, who knew that the teachers there failed you for falling asleep in class? I didn't want to go home and make my parents cry and listen to my friend Raye be like 'I can't believe you failed school, meatball head!' So instead I got a job here, and the owner said I could sleep in the basement, and I have all the benefits of being in America without going to an American school! It's so great, right? Oh - please don't call me meatball head!"

I managed an awkward smile. I could already tell this girl was my polar opposite personality-wise. She was a bit...loopy, but I wasn't one to judge. I had my quirks too. Besides, it was a while since I had an actual conversation with anyone...I didn't come to Tokyo expecting to make any friends. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard something press against the window and meow.

"LUNA! Get off the window! I've cleaned it enough times today!" she yelled at the black cat; I noticed a strange moon-shaped crescent on her forehead..."I'm gonna have a talk with that cat! Not that she talks back to me, because that would be crazy! I'll be right back!"

Just as Serena rushed outside, I noticed a man hovering ominously over my table, wearing all black and tilting his head so that his hat covered his face. Things got weirder as the music came to a grinding halt and everyone else dropped face-first into the tables.

"Come with me. It's time for our first mission," said the sinister man. I realized that he was talking to me.

"You didn't spike the ol' waterin' hole now, did ya?" I asked sarcastically. I glanced out of the window hoping to see Serena, but she had already removed Luna from my window. I hoped that she had gone to get help and hadn't just run away.

"That wasn't a request," the man leaned in. I hid my nervousness and removed my glasses - in some movies I watched, removing glasses was a sign that the character meant business. I tried to show no fear when I looked the man square in the eye, but I saw something strange swirling around in there: like dark energy. _I must be having another dream_, I thought.

"I'd rather have dinner first," I told him. Serena rushed through the front door just as the man tried to grab me.

"Hey! Don't mess with Texas! And don't mess with my customers!" Serena screamed and pointed.

"Sailor Moon!" the man smirked. "It's been a while!"

"Moon...Cosmic...POWER!" she shouted. I just stood there wide-eyed as she...transformed in front of me. I was fixed on all the pretty colors as a tiara, white gloves, red boots, and a white uniform with blue laces and a red bowtie took form upon her. At least the scene proved I was dreaming - I should NOT have spent my first day watching TV.

"I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice!" she posed. "On behalf of the moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you! Not you, him!" she corrected herself when she realized she was pointing at me. "You seem really nice! Not that I'm trying to influence any tip you were thinking of giving me -"

Sailor Moon was interrupted by a blast of dark energy. She was thrown into the back of the restaurant. Not thinking, I tried to tackle my attacker, but he pushed me off and grabbed my by the shoulder. "Moon...tiara...MAGIC!" Sailor Moon cried and threw what looked like frisbee of white light at him. He flinched as it hit him, but refused to let go. "Get your hand OFF OF HIM!" she screamed and charged into us...

The next thing I saw was a massive burst of energy that sent me flying out of the restaurant. I barely felt myself hit the floor before I blacked out. When I woke up, I noticed Sailor Moon lying unconscious nearby. I tried to stand up and wobbled over to her when I managed to catch something that flew towards my head. It was a rose: a figure wearing a white mask and black clothing leaped down off the restaurant roof. I presumed he was another "recruiter" for whoever was responsible for all this.

"Tell whoever you work for that I'm not interested," I snarled.

"I am Tuxedo Mask!" declared the figure. "I 'work' for the forces of truth and justice. I'm here to protect the lovely Sailor Moon from the likes of you!" Before I had the chance to explain anything, Tuxedo Mask threw a punch at me. I got out of the way and Tuxedo Mask charged for another strike, so I pushed his arm to the side and punched him square in the jaw as hard as I could.

"STOP!" a female voice screamed out. It had come in the direction of Luna, who was perched on the sidewalk near the restaurant, but I saw no one else in her direction. "He did not attack Sailor Moon! She was protecting him!"

_Great, now animals are talking to me! So I'm the loopy one! _I thought to myself as I threw my arms up in the air.

"My name is Luna. No, you are not hallucinating or dreaming, I really am a talking cat!" It was an awkward way of introducing herself, so I likely wasn't the first. "I sensed something the moment I met you, and what I saw confirms that we are on the same side.

"On the same side?" asked Tuxedo Mask. "Do you mean he's a..."

"No, not exactly," answered Luna. "I will explain but right now, we have to get Serena to safety."

"To her house?" asked Tuxedo Mask.

"No, whoever we're dealing with will look for her there. I know of another place we can go."

"Fine, help me carry her," ordered Tuxedo Mask. I still didn't trust him, so I stepped back.

"Look, I'm sorry I attacked you. I'm Tuxedo Mask - I'm her boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" I muttered without really thinking.

"Yeah, it comes as a surprise to most people but yes - she has a boyfriend," he answered. Based on the look on his face, I could picture him asking himself:_ Is he just surprised that she has a boyfriend, or is he disappointed?_I saw him rubbing the side of his face where I had hit him.

"Hurry, we have to get her to safety," urged Luna. We took Sailor Moon under the arms and ran after her...

**To Be Continued**


	2. Chapter 2: Queen Serenity's Shadow

**Chapter 2: Queen Serenity's Shadow**

Luna guided us to an old temple: it looked like it was closed for the night, except for one dilapidated building. Waiting for us was another white cat who possessed the same crescent moon on his forehead.

"Luna! What happened?" he asked.

"Artemis, you must awaken Raye and tell the other Sailor Scouts to come here as quickly as possible!"

"I'll move as fast as I can!" Artemis dashed out the door.

"I thought we could use this space as a headquarters if the Sailor Scouts needed to be called again...even though it needs some fixing up," said Luna after we had set Serena down on a rickety bed in the 'Inner Senshi' room.

"She's breathing normally. She's just knocked out. Let her rest," Tuxedo Mask assured us.

"Good thing Amy came to visit, she can take a look at her later." I could sense Luna watching me. "Something's bothering you," she niticed.

I closed my eyes and tried to remember the strange dream I had before. "I dreamed of a teenage girl dressed in white, with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes...most of the details are still fuzzy, but she looked just like her," I said as I looked down at Serena.

"That confirms my suspicions," said Luna. "We came from Silver Millennium, the Moon Kingdom that was destroyed over a thousand years ago. Our mission was to protect the Silver Crystal and help the people of Earth progress. Queen Serenity sacrificed her life so that her court could be reborn on Earth. Sailor Moon was her daughter and leader of the Sailor Scouts. Years ago, we secured the Silver Crystal and protected Earth from evil. But evil comes in many forms, as did the protectors of Queen Serenity."

I thought to sit in an old wooden chair, but I stood up as soon as I heard it creaking. We were lucky Serena's bed was in better shape. "Are you saying I'm a Sailor Scout?" I asked.

"N...no, not a Sailor Scout, but you were one of the Queen's agents on Earth. Your job was to monitor the progress of civilization on Earth and report on any possible threats."

"He was a spy?" asked Tuxedo Mask. Luna cringed at the thought. I could tell she thought highly of her mission and her fallen kingdom.

"Their mission was purely benign at first. When Queen Serenity learned that a dark influence was corrupting them, she expanded their mission and her agents became the Shadows of Silver Millennium. You learned how to wield the same dark magic as our enemies in order to disguise and protect yourselves. But I thought that none of your kind was left."

"The man in the restaurant wanted me to come with him. He said it was time for my first mission," I admitted to Luna. I saw Tuxedo Mask glance quickly towards me, but he quickly turned his eyes back to Serena.

"He can sense the dark taint that resides within you, faint as it may be. No doubt he wants you to join his cause...which would pit you against the people of Earth and the Sailor Scouts," said Luna.

"I got the feeling he's up to no good. Maybe I could spy on him for you guys," I suggested.

"I did not expect you would be so quick to offer your help," Luna admitted after a moment of awkward silence. "Knowing what we're up against and what they're planning would certainly aid us, but it would be dangerous. If they suspect that you're helping us, they may destroy you."

"Maybe there's training or an artifact you can give him to help him resist their influence," suggested Tuxedo Mask.

Luna hung her head. "Unlike the rest of our group, you carry the taint of the dark magic you once wielded inside of you. It is not a matter of resisting our enemies' power...it is about learning how to control your own."

"I can use dark magic? What sort of powers did I have?" I asked.

"The dark magic users we have encountered could disappear from sight and strike without warning. They could drain energy from others and manipulate their minds."

_Invisibility might be cool, but the rest sounded much less benevolent, _I thought. _What if I could not control it?_ I began wondering what I had gotten myself into...

Luna must have noticed that I was having second thoughts and gave me a moment of pause. Using dark magic does not make you an evil person, but the temptation to use it for selfish and destructive purposes will be strong, even for you." "You have a choice. You can stay with us regardless of your decision. We can keep you safe until the Sailor Scouts have dealt with the threat."

I looked at Sailor Moon again, covered in sheets. She had risked her life protecting me. _I have to do something_, I told myself. I could not just sit by. It was as much a feeling as it was a thought, but I managed to put the words together: "Sailor Moon couldn't defeat him. You need to know what we're up against, and this is our best chance. Who knows how much time we have?"

Luna nodded. "If only Serena had been as enthusiastic when I told her she was Sailor Moon. Very well, but first, we must be certain that you can handle dark magic." Luna leapt into the air and did a backflip. A black shard fell to the floor.

"We've encountered forces that have used the Dark Crystal and dark magic before, but this shard is pure. Its power rivals that of the Silver Crystal from which the Sailor Scouts draw their own powers. Pick it up," ordered Luna. "And remember your heart." I was unsure what she meant, but with some hesitation, I knelt down and reached out for the shard.

The shard's edges that were sharp to the touch. Staring into it was like staring into a black hole. My hand burned while the rest of my body went cold. I saw darkness swirling around me. In an instant, I could see myself siphoning energy from my bullies and watching them collapse to the ground while others watched on in horror. I could see myself tearing buildings to their foundations and throwing cops aside like ragdolls. And then I saw myself finishing my fight with Tuxedo Mask: I ripped off his mask and choked him as Sailor Moon begged me to stop...

In horror, I threw the shard aside. I realized what a terrible mistake I would be making. Whatever threat we faced, I would become something much worse.

"Throw it away. It's too dangerous," I begged Luna. I backed up into a corner, put my hands on my knees and sat there looking at the floor. I was in a cold sweat.

"The stone shows you what you CAN do with your powers, not what you WILL do. The fact that it scares you proves that you have a good heart." Luna spoke in a gentle tone as she pushed a silver bracer in front of me. I noticed a slot for the shard, but I could not bring myself to hold it again. "This will help you focus and control your dark powers. I trust you to use your powers responsibly. Now, you have to trust yourself," Luna explained.

"I know you can - um, I didn't catch your name," asked Tuxedo Mask.

"Yes! You're going to need a new name! Like the Sailor Scouts, you should take measures to protect your identity so you will be able to walk the city freely until we need you," realized Luna.

I picked the bracer up off the ground - it was surprisingly light to the touch, yet sturdy. It slipped onto my arm perfectly. "What would you call me?" I asked.

"...Charon," Luna said after a moment of contemplation. "That will be your name."

"Well, you guys named me, so I guess I have to take this," I quipped. I reached for the dark shard and shoved it into the bracer as quickly as I could. Although the shard was jagged and uncut, it fit perfectly. My arm grew hot for a few seconds, but nothing near like it was before. I saw another brief 'vision'...this time I was wearing two silver bracers with a magical chain holding them together, like handcuffs...but the image quickly faded.

"What is your real name, anyway?" asked Tuxedo Mask.

I smirked. "I'm a spy, remember? I can't tell you until you earn my trust."

"Luna!" Artemis had returned. "Something's going on in the city, I was able to find - whoa." Artemis paused in the doorway and stared at me. I could hear others coming behind him...

**To Be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3: The Inner Senshi

**Chapter 3: Colliding with the Inner Senshi**

A young woman around Serena's age with long black hair and white robes with a long red skirt followed behind Artemis. She did not look very pleased to see us and I could see the lines in her face tighten when she saw me.

"Intruder!" I was startled when she screamed and pointed at me. "Get out of here before I-"

"Calm down, Raye! He was an agent of Queen Serenity! He's offered to help us figure out what's going on!" cried Luna.

I saw three other girls file in behind Raye. The first had short blue hair and glanced away from me as she walked by. The second had green eyes and hair tied into a ponytail, held by a hair tie with two green round jewels. The third looked startlingly like Serena, except that her long blonde hair was straight with a red hair ribbon. They were all plainly dressed in civilian clothes - they must have been hanging out when Artemis found them - but they were still pretty.

"Are you sure he's on our side? He's dressed like a bad guy," said the one with brown hair. I looked down and was surprised to find that I was now wearing a gray robe with black outlines on top of some kind of undersuit. Except for the silver bracer, there was no sign of the clothes I had been wearing before.

"Your bracer and the dark shard allows you to transform and activate your powers instantly, but watch your emotions carefully - you must have gotten nervous when Artemis and the others came," explained Luna.

"Luna - did you say dark shard?" asked Artemis.

"Yes, he's a Shadow. He was a member of a secret order that infiltrated the forces of evil on Earth," answered Luna.

"I thought there were none of them left. But things are a mess outside. It's a welcome change of pace, usually when someone new appears they're not on our side!" said Artemis. _Maybe now the others would welcome me_, I thought...

"Now hold on!" Raye interrupted again. "He's not a Sailor Scout, right? It's bad enough you didn't tell me about this base of yours, Luna, but bringing him here has put my grandpa and the rest of us in danger! How do we know he's not here to spy on us?"

"He's not a spy, Raye!" shouted Luna.

"Calm down, everyone!" yelled the blonde with the red hair ribbon. "Amy, maybe you should take a look at Serena?"

The blue-haired girl nodded and joined Tuxedo Mask by Serena's bed side. But it didn't take long for tempers to flare up again:

"Darien, what happened to your face?" Amy asked Tuxedo Mask.

"Look, Charon - the new guy and I - had a misunderstanding. I thought he attacked Serena, so I attacked him, and he defended himself - "

"See?! This proves he's dangerous!" yelled Raye. "I don't know why the rest of you are defending him! He won't even defend himself - he hasn't said a word since we got here!"

I'd had enough by that point. I turned to Luna and tried to pretend there was no one else there as I said, "I can meet the recruiter on my own, find out what I can and report back."

"I would not advise that you go alone. The Sailor Scouts should be nearby in case our ruse does not work or you run into any trouble. We have to know why they are interested in you and what they plan on using you for," warned Luna.

I turned to Raye and the other two Sailor Scouts behind her. "You're right, I'm not a Sailor Scout. I can't make you help me, but I don't need your permission either."

"Well, I'm their leader, and I'm coming with you." I heard Serena call out just as I was about to walk past the three Sailor Scouts. I saw Amy and Damien trying to push her back down, but she insisted on sitting up. "He's my friend, and I'm not leaving him out there without backup."

The others looked at me, then back at Serena. "I'm with you too, I think you're a good guy," said the other blonde.

I saw Amy nodding. The brown-haired girl turned to Sailor Mars. "He's got a plan, Raye. Let's help him with it."

Sailor Mars turned her head away...not just from me, but from everyone else...and closed her eyes in disappointment. "I should check on my grandpa. I hope this plan works."

"Come on, Raye!" the brown-haired girl called after her. "I'll be right back."

"Hey, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. My name's Mina," the other blonde smiled. "Any chance you've heard of Sailor V?"

_I had the biggest crush on her EVER,_ I thought. But instead I said, "Yeah, I've heard of her."

"That was me!" she said excitedly. A lump formed in my throat.

"Yeah, yeah, what have you done for the world lately, Venus?" mocked Serena.

"Hey!" Mina yelled back.

"So, Artemis, where's Rini?" Serena asked. Mina whispered to me that Rini was Serena's daughter from the future. Compared to everything else that was going out that day, that really didn't phase me.

"Rini couldn't come, she's grounded," Artemis admitted awkwardly. You saw Serena mutter _ha ha._

"Any luck, Sailor Jupiter?" Amy asked the brown-haired girl upon her return. I saw no sign of Raye behind her.

"Looks like it'll be us for now. She'll come around...eventually," lamented Jupiter. "So what's the plan? Are you gonna ditch those robes and bracer?" she asked.

"I'll tell him the Sailor Scouts tried to recruit me to their cause, tried to get me to use the power of the Black Shard against their enemies, but I decided that being evil is way cooler and escaped," I answered.

"That's risky, but his superiors will definitely be more interested in you. Remember, if you think you're in danger of being discovered, you have the power to disappear," said Luna.

"Or just yell for us and we'll come running!" said Sailor Moon from her bed.

"But discover as much as you can about them - their numbers, their goals, their leaders and if they use the same dark energy. I don't know of any other source that would trigger a reaction like I saw when you two collided with Sailor Moon." Luna flipped into the air again and a wrist watch with a crystal star on the cover fell. I was a bit embarrassed to pick it up. "Use this so that we can listen in on your conversations and you can call us if you need help. I'm sorry I don't have anything more...appropriate for you."

"I'll keep an eye on Raye and her grandpa, make sure they're OK," said Artemis. "Don't worry, you'll be in good hands," he said to me...

**To Be Continued**


	4. Chapter 4: The Impostor Kingdom

**Chapter 4: The Impostor Kingdom**

I left on my own, but I heard chatter over the communicator indicating that the others were watching me from a distance. The police had set up a perimeter around the restaurant when I returned. I could see them carrying people out - some were badly hurt, but thankfully they were all walking. I figured out how to 'think' my robes off and was wearing regular clothes again; I did not want to attract any unwanted attention.

"Sir, there's been an explosion," the officer stated briskly.

"I'm looking for someone who was here. A man wearing all black, including a black hat," I asked. I saw the officer flip through a notepad.

"I may have seen him, can you give me more details?" he asked.

"I spoke to him earlier, he wanted to recruit me for something important," was what I said. The officer gave me an odd look, but said he would find out and walked towards the restaurant. Minutes later, everybody just collapsed on the floor. I felt a chill down my spine and the arm with the bracer grew hot again.

"I don't like the looks of this, we should grab him and question him ourselves," I heard Jupiter faintly mutter over the communicator.

"Stick to the plan, stay quiet," I heard Sailor Venus answer back. I could see the figure grinning as he came closer. I resisted the urge to step back as he stopped inches away from me. I noticed that his skin had a purple hue.

"You have returned, acolyte. For your own sake, I hope you were not foolish enough to lead Sailor Moon here," he sneered.

"She didn't. She tried to recruit me to her cause, but I escaped," I explained. I raised my arm and showed him the silver bracer. He reached out to touch it, but did not.

"Your powers are strong," he smiled, "and you are learning how to use them on your own. We studied the Scouts' previous missions and found the means to resist their powers, but we did not think they would try to turn you against us. But I have accounted for the other Shadows - tell me, what led you back to us?"

"Sailor Moon was really annoying, she seemed like a huge brat. And her friends were jerks," I answered back. I figured the best lies were close to the truth, but I knew Sailor Moon was going to make me pay for that later...

"I expected that reaction from them," he smiled. "Queen Serenity and her court were always arrogant. But a second Ice Age is coming to this planet and Silver Millennium shall be rebuilt upon its surface!"

"But I thought the Sailor Scouts were the enemy! They're the ones who want to restore Silver Millennium!" I asked. No doubt the others were also confused.

"That's what any tyrant would want you to believe: that they ARE the Kingdom, not merely its rulers! Their hubris did not only turn the people of Earth against them, acolyte! Our plan was set in motion long before the Moon Kingdom was destroyed! The only wrinkle left in our plan...is you!"

This time, I stepped back from him, trying not to let my 'cloak' magically activate itself. "Wait! I thought you were recruiting me! I can help you find Sailor Moon!" I 'pleaded'. Hopefully the others knew that I was trying to buy more time and coax more information out of him.

"Your powers are strong, acolyte, but they also make you a liability. By the time the Scouts find another way to stop us, it will be too late. I assure you: your sacrifice will guarantee the rebirth of our Kingdom and the end of the Sailor Scouts!" I flinched as he reached in my direction. When I opened my eyes, I realized that my cloak had activated. He reached in my direction and smirked; although he didn't know exactly where I was, he sensed I was still in the area.

"You can't hide, acolyte!" I tried to run when I saw him summon a ball of dark energy in his hand and throw it at the floor. He raised a fog of black smoke with energy particles surging through it. I felt as if I had been electrocuted and fell to the ground in agony.

"Mercury Bubbles...Blast!" The dark fog was blown away by a clear mist, giving me some time to get on my feet and run into the street.

"Back for your pawn, I see! Or was he yours all along?" I heard the recruiter scream behind me. He was still pursuing me.

"Venus...Crescent...Beam!" The recruiter dodged Sailor Venus' attack, but the distraction gave me a chance to run into the alley.

"Mars...Fire...Ignite!" I heard Raye's voice - she had come to help us! I saw a wall of fire behind me, blocking the recruiter from pursuing me any farther. I leaned up against the wall and sat on the ground.

"Charon, are you alright?" Tuxedo Mask ran up to me, followed by Luna.

"He said he could...resist their powers," I said, trying to stand back up.

"He might not expect YOU to attack him," suggested Tuxedo Mask.

"How?" I asked.

"Get close to him and use the same attack against him! Stay focused on him and remember: you're fighting to protect the Sailor Scouts! The rest will come!" said Luna.

I could see things were going badly for us when I approached the alley. Whenever the Sailor Scouts' attacked him, he would disappear like a ghost, only to reappear near them and deliver a close blast of dark energy. This was a trained Shadow in combat...what I could become if I could master my powers...

"Run," Sailor Mercury pleaded as she lay on the floor. Only Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon were left standing.

"Venus...Love Chain Encircle!" Sailor Venus launched her chain attack right at him, but he was dodged the initial strike, grabbed the chain and rode it back to her.

"Venus!" Sailor Moon shouted as he knocked her to the ground. The recruiter turned around and smirked when he saw me.

"Go! I can deal with this!" I shouted to Sailor Moon.

"But - " I nodded and Sailor Moon understood. She ran to Venus and Tuxedo Mask went to help the others.

"See how quickly your 'friends' desert you. You were foolish to betray us," taunted the recruiter.

"At least they didn't try to kill me when we first met," I retorted. I was focused on what Luna told me, trying to summon dark magic like the recruiter had earlier.

"I would have given you a quick death acolyte. Instead, I'll take my time..." He vanished from sight, surely to attack me up close, just as the ball of dark magic formed in my hand and I threw it to the floor. The cloud of smoke may not have been as dense as the one he had summoned before, but it was enough to stop him in his tracks. He reappeared, coughing and shaking helplessly.

"How? No...you're a..." he cried.

"He's vulnerable! Sailor Moon, finish him!" cried Luna. Sailor Moon raised a pink rod with a tiny gold crown, topped with a gold and red heart-shaped towards the Moon. I grew dizzy watching her spin the rod and herself around.

"Moon...Spiral...Heart...Attack!" she yelled. If the dizziness hadn't finished off the recruiter, then the enormous pink heart that smashed into him surely did. I made a note to myself to be careful about teasing Serena.

I could see that the people the recruiter had previously rendered unconscious were beginning to stir."Hey, Sailor Moon's back!" I heard a voice yell from down the street.

"It wasn't just us," smiled Sailor Moon as she flipped her hair. "We have our newest team member to thank - hey, where did he go?" she looked around frantically.

I had disappeared from sight and was watching the scene from a nearby rooftop. I heard Tuxedo Mask slip in behind me. "Camera shy?" he asked. I nodded. "It's OK, they can handle the attention. We'll see them back at the Temple..."

**To Be Continued**


	5. Chapter 5: Trust is Earned

**Chapter 5: Trust is Earned**

Damien and I found an old TV in the Temple and managed to hook it up, so we could sit back as we waited for the others. Luna and Artemis joined us minutes later and told us the Sailor Scouts had returned. They were exhausted after their last fight and Luna decided everyone should get some rest. I hoped that wasn't a sign that Serena was mad at me for something. Damien flipped through three channels before settling on the Sailor V movie.

"I thought you two would want to watch something else. Didn't you have enough real fighting earlier?" chastised Luna.

"That cat looks nothing like me," lamented Artemis. Luna sighed.

"The dialogue is almost completely different from what I remember," I said to Damien. "They cut out a lot of scenes in the version I watched, like most of the romance parts and the grenade scene. She didn't really hit anybody either, it's like you would see her hand move and her target would just drop."

"Why would they do that? Sounds like they butchered it," replied Damien as Sailor V fought her way through a group of masked criminals.

"They made it more kid-friendly, but it still had its charms," I answered.

"So, how does the real Sailor V compare to the movie version?" asked Artemis.

I answered, "she looks better without the mask." I did not understand why none of them brought up what we had just experienced, so I changed the subject. "Were there any rebellions in Silver Millennium?" I asked Luna.

"Not that I remember," replied Luna. "I know that the recruiter said troublesome things about Silver Millennium, but you can't let him fill you with doubts. Queen Serenity was a kind and just ruler. She sacrificed herself to give us another chance at life. Try to put it out of your head for now - we will talk in the morning, after everyone else has rested."

"I'll look around for a while, and then get some rest. Good night," I left the room and took a walk through the Temple grounds. Before that night, I might have enjoyed the serenity of the trees and empty buildings. Instead, I repeatedly checked over my shoulder to make sure there were no other recruiters or rogue Shadows sneaking up behind me. When I slid the door open to the main shrine, I saw Raye praying to the fire in the robe and dress she wore when we met.

"Hey," she called just as I was about to slide the door shut and leave. Maybe she thought I was one of her friends.

"Sorry, I was just leaving. I'm glad everyone is alright," I muttered. I noticed two black crows sitting beside her as I slid the door closed. But she reopened the door and followed me.

"Even with the five of us, we still couldn't beat him. If you hadn't been there, we wouldn't have been able to stop the Shadow recruiter," she admitted.

I turned to her; I hadn't expected to see this side of her, but here she was: apologizing. "I wasn't sure you'd come back," I said to her.

"I came back to help the others, but later I realized that I was wrong about you. I hope you'll stay around?" she looked up and asked.

"He mentioned another Ice Age was coming. A lot of innocent people will die if that happens, so yeah - I'll stay. Maybe we can stop it, or at least buy some more time," I answered. She smiled, but I could see her eyes were still somber. "You all seem close. I wish I had a group of friends like yours," I added.

"You do," she answered. "We get on each other's nerves all the time - especially Serena - but we're all there for each other when it matters. I'll talk to you later, I need to make sure Grandpa's still in bed."

"Sure, let me know if you need help with him," I offered and started walking away.

"Hey! What's your name? Besides Charon?" she asked.

"Logan," I turned and answered. "You're the first person I've told."

She smiled again. "Good night, Logan." I returned to the personal quarters for bed when I saw Darien whispering into one of the rooms.

"We were watching the movie the entire time. He would have gotten suspicious if I insisted he stay there!"

"I don't like holding secret meetings about him behind his back, Darien." I could make out Serena's voice whispering back to him. Knowing that they were talking about me behind my back made my blood boil.

"You won't have to keep this secret for long," he assured you. Copying another of the Shadow recruiter's move, I disappeared and reappeared directly behind Damien.

"No, you won't," I made Damien jump and Serena gasp. "You can tell me right now."

"Luna wanted us to wait for the right time to talk to you..." began Serena. I could see her eyes starting to fill with tears.

"Serena, the others are sleeping! She cries easily." I could see her fuming as Damien continued. "That recruiter was a Shadow, and he said the others were 'accounted for'. There are sure to be more on his side! We can't just ignore that!"

"You can't ignore the fact that you need my help either," I answered. "And it's going to be hard to trust any of you knowing that you're talking about me behind my back."

Serena and Damien hung their heads. I started feeling bad: they were my closest friends here so far. But I knew that keeping secrets from me wasn't right.

"Nobody said anything bad about you at the meeting. Not even Raye, which is something," offered Serena.

"The others just don't know you yet. Maybe tomorrow, we can all try to get to know each other better - " suggested Damien.

"Ooohhh! SHOPPING! WE NEED FOOD AND VIDEOGAMES AND -" Serena yawned "and sleep. Lots of sleep."

"We'd better get some sleep while we have the chance," said Damien. "Tomorrow will be a better day, I promise." I decided to drop it for now.

"Oh, while you're here!" Serena called to us and went back into her room. She returned to her door with a stack of Sailor V manga. "Our welcome gift for you. Mina thought you would like it - although I'm not sure if she wanted you to know it was her idea, so forget I said that!"

"Uh...thanks," I said awkwardly as Serena slid her door closed.

"See? They're trying. I...uh, mentioned we were watching the movie. I think Mina has a crush," Damien mentioned awkwardly.

"Was the part of the movie where she was in love and had to give him up true?" I asked.

After a moment of silence, Damien responded, "Mina's a romantic, but she doesn't have a lot of experience with relationships." We returned to our private quarters, although I wasn't expecting to get much sleep...

**To Be Continued**


	6. Chapter 6: The Spymaster

**Chapter 6: The Spymaster**

While his agents had spread throughout the city, the Spymaster of the Shadows had settled in the outskirts of Tokyo. Rather than surround himself in a fortress with armed guards, he spent most of his days in a dilapidated house. At night, he could be found kneeling alone among the trees, incanting unintelligible phrases of reverence towards the moon. His subordinate quietly approached him from behind and kneeled beside him.

"Spymaster, my agents report that the recruiter has gone missing. He last reported that he was seeking the final acolyte."

"I see." The Spymaster's eyes remained closed and his body remained motionless. "How many agents have you tasked with finding them?"

"With respect, Spymaster, the disappearances of a single low-ranking Shadow and a single acolyte do not warrant the resources that I have dedicated to finding them. Our Shadows are ready to commence gathering energy from the humans, starting today."

"You will find out what became of our missing men, Commander," ordered the Spymaster calmly. "The human media has reported that the Sailor Scouts have re-emerged. Do you assume that the Sailor Scouts' return and the disappearance of our two Shadows are coincidence?" he asked.

The commander turned to face his superior. "We anticipated that the Sailor Scouts would return, Spymaster. We studied their fighting techniques, honed our powers to resist theirs - "

"The arrogance of Queen Serenity led to the destruction of the Moon Kingdom and I implore you not to make the same mistake," the Spymaster urged the Commander. "Our enemies have proven themselves in battle time and time again. Unless your agents can convince me otherwise, we must assume that they have found a way to counter our advantages over them."

"Yes, Spymaster," agreed the Commander.

"We must make adjustments to our original plan. You will begin conducting energy-gathering operations today, but your ulterior motive will be to draw the Sailor Scouts out into the open. The humans are attracted to outward displays of personality and bravado; you will use that to your advantage. You will conduct larger and more public operations - fewer if necessary. If possible, you will capture a lone Sailor Scout for interrogation: find out what happened to our missing agents."

"Respectfully, Spymaster, our plan was to gather as much human energy as quickly as possible to bring about the Second Ice Age. We simply do not have enough men to do as you have ordered and remain on schedule. Dedicating some Shadows to drawing attention and others to reconnaissance will slow the operation by weeks, if not months." The Commander was uncomfortable with his new directive and was frustrated that the Spymaster would never look at him or give any verbal cues to indicate that he was listening.

"We are accelerating a natural process. Silver Millennium WILL be reborn on this planet. Our aim is to guarantee that it shall be under our tutelage. All memory of the Sailor Scouts and the royal court shall be wiped away, along with most of this planet's population. But remember Commander - human extinction is not our objective. Once the Kingdom has been reborn, we shall continue to guide those who remain."

The commander chiseled at this particular order; he viewed the humans as an obstacle and had desperately tried to pursue a better source of energy to fuel their plan. But he bowed and muttered, "as you wish, Spymaster." He stood and stared at the moon where the ruins of the fallen Kingdom still stood before he walked away...

**The Following Morning...**

Damien and I waited outside the girls' quarters that morning. Mina was turning everyone's rooms upside down trying to find something. Eventually, the other Sailor Scouts got impatient and dragged her out of there.

"Just give me 10 more minutes to search! I remember putting them right here in the corner!" pleaded Mina.

"Oh - the Sailor V manga? I gave them to Charon last night. Oh - and I accidentally mentioned it was your idea," answered Serena.

"What?! I was just going to leave it on his table! Why did you tell him it was from me?!" Mina's face turned red when she saw us standing a few feet away from her. "Oh, hey guys! I didn't see you there! Serena can be a real ditz sometimes!"

"Takes one to know one," mumbled Serena. Mina crossed her arms and turned her back on Serena.

"Thanks for the manga?" I awkwardly smiled to try to defuse the tension, but it didn't work.

"Hey, since Charon's visiting, I thought we could split up and meet for breakfast later," Damien suggested.

"I call these two!" Serena grabbed me and Mina by the arms.

"I'm still not talking to you," muttered Mina. Serena sighed.

"Don't worry Serena, I'll take good care of your boyfriend for you," Raye teased and winked. Serena made an angry face. We walked down the Temple steps together and split up as we headed into the city...

"Don't tell me both of you are giving me the silent treatment!" complained Serena half an hour later. She had acted as the tour guide, introducing the sights, including their old high school. I was enjoying the scenery. Mina WAS still a bit mad...

The sight of the arcade across the street caught my eye. "I haven't seen one of those in a while," I commented. The other two stopped and looked.

"You mean you don't have arcades back home?" Serena asked.

"Well, they're for little kids. It's been a long time since I've been in one," I answered.

"That reminds me," Mina chimed in, "last night I saw that Amy had one of those square black things that people used to put in computer slots..."

"Floppy discs?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's what they were called!" answered Mina.

"Ah, the good old 90s," stated Serena.

**Meanwhile...**

Behind the three of us, two Shadows disguised in civilian clothing watched ominously. "I recognize those two from the news. Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus. I sense something strange about the one standing next to them," said the male shadow.

"Our orders are to take one of them for interrogation," the female Shadow remembered. "This could be our best chance; there's only two of them with that nobody."

"Why don't we drain their energy first? We could host some kind of videogame competition," the male shadow suggested.

"Videogame competition?" she asked.

"Yes, you remember the briefings? You know how human energy rises when they're competing? We can offer the winner a prize and while they're trying so hard to win, we drain all the contestants' energy! And then we take one for interrogation! We can work on two mission objectives at the same time!" the male Shadow explained excitedly.

The female Shadow shook her head. "All of our training and dark magic abilities and you want to defeat our enemies by hosting a videogame competition? Seriously, that's the lamest plan I've ever heard!"

"Hey, the bad guys - I mean, Queen Beryl's commanders came up with schemes like that all the time, remember?" he complained.

"And look how well that turned out for them," she crossed her arms and shook her head. "We don't need a stupid scheme to collect energy OR capture one of the Sailor Scouts. Here...give me that leather flap human males carry around with them..."

He reached into his pocket. "My wallet? Seriously, you think this is a better plan?"

**...**

"HELP! MY WALLET!" A man screamed behind us. I charged after the woman who stole it. She was fast and moved through the crowds with remarkable precision. I nearly lost her several times during the chase, but I could sense her up ahead. I pursued her into an alley. Thankfully, it was a dead end, giving me a second to catch my breath.

A out-of-breath cop ran up behind me. "Ma'am...your...under...arrest!"

An even more out-of-breath Serena followed. "Charon...you alright?" she panted.

"Charon?" asked the cop. "What kind of name is...ugh..."

I felt a tingling sensation, but I wasn't feeling as tired as the cop and Serena suddenly looked. I saw that the mysterious woman was draining their energy...and she was trying to drain mine too...but the process was moving a lot more slowly...

"You ARE different!" she realized. "There's only one way you could resist my energy drain...you have dark magic! You're supposed to be one of us!"

"Sorry to disappoint you," I replied. She tried to disappear, but I beat her to it...I reappeared behind her, curb-stomped her right thigh, and punched her in the face. She fell to the ground in shock. I looked over to the cop and Serena and I realized that Mina wasn't behind her.

"Serena, where's Mina?" I asked.

"She stayed with that guy that she mugged," Serena answered. I realized that this was her plan all along.

"Was that guy with you?" I asked the downed Shadow. I grabbed her collar when she cracked a wide grin. "Was all this to capture our friend?"

She leaned up off the floor to answer. "Even if you destroy me, you won't be able to hide your presence from us for long..."

**To Be Continued...**


	7. Chapter 7: A Wild Mini Moon Appears!

**Chapter 7: A Wild Mini Moon Appears!**

My first thought was that Sailor Moon and I should destroy her. She was the enemy: if we let her go, she was sure to report back to the others...and come back for revenge. But when I turned back and faced Serena, still lying on the ground, I saw a look in her eyes that suggested she knew what I was thinking...and she was afraid that I would say it. The Shadow was awake, but there was no indication she would be able to threaten us any time soon. So I left the Shadow where she lay on the ground with the police officer, helped my friend to her feet, and walked away.

"Are we just going to leave her?" she asked. Maybe she hadn't known what I was thinking after all...or maybe she thought that leaving her wasn't enough.

"What are we supposed to do? Either we leave her, or..." I didn't finish my sentence. If there was any doubt before, she definitely understood when she looked away from me.

I knew Serena didn't want to deal a finishing blow to the Shadow if she was no longer a threat to us. Maybe I could have convinced her it had to be done, but we still had to save Venus. All we could do was leave her and hope we wouldn't regret it later.

"Loan me your communicator," she changed the subject. I pulled out the communicator Luna had given me. "Amy, come in!"

"What's wrong, Serena? Are you OK?" responded Sailor Mercury.

"A Shadow drew me and Charon away from Sailor Venus. Do you still have that computer? We need to find her," asked Serena.

"Of course I do - it's been a little finicky since I rewrote the firmware, but I should be able to track her location...found her, she's in the arcade! There must be another Shadow with her, I'm getting strange readings...Serena, there's another Sailor Scout in there with them!"

"Rini!" shouted Serena. "She won't be able to take him on by herself! We have to hurry! Um...ahem," she cleared her throat when I started running. "I'm not much of a sprinter, as you already know! And that energy drain took a lot out of me!"

"What do you want me to do, carry you on my back?" I asked sarcastically. Serena put her pointer fingers together and made puppy eyes at me. "Wait, you're serious?! Shouldn't your boyfriend be doing this?"

"Well, he's not here and Venus needs our help! We should get moving!" I sighed, turned around, and bent my knees so she could climb on my back. This was easily one of the worst rescues ever...

"Hey, you didn't mention anything I said at the restaurant, did you?" Serena asked as I dashed through the crowds like a madman. Of course, people were staring.

"No," I mumbled. I was running out of breath, but we were almost there. "They don't," I stopped for breaths in between, "know?"

"I haven't told anyone else yet. Oh, they're going to be so disappointed. I'd still be in the Eighth Grade if it wasn't for them," she cried. Somehow, I didn't doubt that. I don't know how I made it there with Serena on my back at full speed, but we did. When we finally reached the arcade, we could see everyone in the immediate vicinity was lying on the floor unconscious. With a brief flash of energy, my robes formed around me.

"OK, we're here, that wasn't so bad," she said as I held my aching back and gasped for air. "We can't wait for the others. You sneak up behind him and I'll attack from the front, just like last time!"

"Alright," I answered.

"Moon...Cosmic...POWER!" she shouted and transformed. I never got tired of watching her do that...

"Why are you standing around?! We have two Sailor Scouts counting on us!" she yelled after she was in full costume.

"I needed time to catch my breath," I semi-lied. "You're heavier than you look."

Sailor Moon put her hands on her hips. "That's not a very nice thing to say! Maybe YOU'RE not as strong as you look!"

"I thought we were in a hurry," I said. She nodded and we slipped in through the front door, taking cover behind some arcade machines. We could hear the Shadow interrogating Mina in back; he had not heard us, so we took opposing sides of the building and moved towards him as quietly as possible.

"This is your last chance to tell me what I want to know and spare yourself pain, Sailor Scout." I could see the Shadow had pinned Mina to the wall with dark magic cuffs around her arms and legs. He was a tall figure and wore a dark brown cloak. "What was the outcome of your fight with two of our men?"

Sailor Venus looked over and saw me behind one of the arcade machines. "OK...OK, I'll tell you! We fought both of them. We destroyed one of them and the other one fled!"

"Shadows don't flee! We disappear only to strike again!" I looked for Sailor Moon on the other side but she was nowhere to be seen. "And how did you manage to destroy a Shadow?"

Sailor Venus hesitated when she saw I wasn't moving. I shook my head. "I'm Sailor V, remember! Half the arcade machines in here have my face on them!" I finally saw Sailor Moon pop her head up behind an arcade machine on the opposite side and nodded to Sailor Venus. "Well, maybe not half of them anymore, closer to a quarter - " She kept babbling to keep him distracted. I left the cover of the arcade started moving up behind the Shadow as quietly as I could when I heard some strange but oddly-catching music start playing...

"Pink...Sugar...Heart...ATTACK!" a girl's voice shouted from behind me. I turned to see a pink rod with a heart-shaped crystal at me. I was able to disappear in time to avoid the attack, but I saw the pink heart-shaped energy rays hit Serena in the face.

"OWWWWW RINI STOP IT OWWWW!" she cried. The enemy Shadow took advantage of the situation to knock Sailor Moon away with a blast of dark energy.

I was able to get a better look at the girl who attacked us: she was a young preteen with pink hair in a style that resembled rabbit ears on her head. Her uniform was similar to Sailor Moon's, except her skirt and boots were pink. She turned back to me and said, "for love and justice, I am the pretty, sailor-suited fighter, Sailor Mini Moon! In the name of the future Moon, I'll punish you!"

"Rini, stop! He's on our side!" Sailor Venus shouted. The Shadow turned his head back towards her.

"Clearly, he tricked you! Look at him!" I dodged Rini as she tried to tackle me and then threw a flurry of punches. She was fast and managed to land a few blows.

"We need him, Rini!" Mina shouted again. I saw the Shadow put his hand around her neck and lean in close to her.

"You turned one of our acolytes against us? How?! How has he been helping you?!" As he demanded answers from Mina, I turned away from Sailor Mini Moon, vanished, and teleported directly behind the Shadow's back. I summoned dark energy to my hand and grabbed the recruiter's shoulder. I could see him convulse and spasm, kneeling to the ground in agony. The chains holding Mina fizzled out and dissipated.

"Let's just say your recruiter didn't make a good first impression," I told the Shadow.

"You'd...betray Silver Millennium...for what?" he asked.

"You have it backwards. You're the traitors! The Sailor Scouts stand for justice and keep the people of Earth safe from the likes of you!" I argued with him as Sailor Moon, Mina and Mini Moon watched.

"The Sailor Scouts helped Queen Serenity kept all of us down! We will keep Earth safe AND free!"

"After how many people die during the second Ice Age?!" I asked.

"Earth needs a fresh start...just like the Moon Kingdom did..."

I turned to the other three Sailor Scouts. They gave me the same look that Sailor Moon gave me in the alley before. "If you tell us how to stop your master's plans and promise you won't return to the Shadows, we'll spare you," I offered.

"Betray Silver Millennium? Never!" he muttered. He kicked me back and enveloped himself in dark energy, taking on the form of a black dragon. He spread his wings, shrieked and flew straight towards me. I ducked out of the way as he shattered the glass door of the arcade. As we ran out after him, he perched himself on the roof of the opposite building and roared, spewing dark fire.

"Charon? I don't suppose you can turn into a dragon, too?" asked a visibly terrified Sailor Moon. I shook my head. We were in for a tougher fight than last time...


	8. Chapter 8: Misplaced Sentiment

**Chapter 8: Misplaced Sentiment**

"M-maybe it's like in the movies...if we stand really, really still he'll just fly away," suggested Mini Moon. Her theory was quickly disproven when the 'dragon' opened his mouth and an enormous ball of dark magic flew towards us. We scattered and the ball left a giant crater in the road.

"Sailor Venus, maybe you can give me a boost up there with that love chain of yours?" I asked.

"Alright! Keep them busy, you two!" she said to Sailor Moon and Mini Moon. "Venus Star Power!" she shouted and transformed. As much as I would have enjoyed watching, I had to keep another eye on that dragon to make sure we weren't incinerated. Fortunately his attention was on Sailor Mini Moon as she ran around and screamed at it. Venus pulled out her chain and I grabbed it as she threw it into the air. I let go when I flew above the dragon, channeled dark magic, and placed my hand on the dragon's back as I landed on top of him. My attack caused a counter-explosion that only succeeded in throwing me back. I landed into another building and only had a clothesline to break my fall into the alley below.

"Ow, my back," I complained. "Where's Tuxedo Mask when you need him?"

"Ahem!" he cleared his throat behind me. Tuxedo Mask had arrived with Luna, Artemis, and Sailor Scouts Mars, Mercury and Jupiter.

"We came as quickly as we could! Are you alright?" asked Sailor Mercury. Before I could reply, the dragon lifted into the air and nearly blew us away as he flapped his massive wings.

"A dragon?! As if fighting a Shadow wasn't hard enough!" shouted Jupiter.

"How about a Shadow that can turn into a dragon?" I asked. I could see the other Scouts starting to turn pale. "He repelled my attack. Either we have to find a weakness, or a way to turn ME into a dragon," I joked...as inappropriate as the timing was.

"I'll try to analyze it," said Sailor Mercury. A visor appeared over her face when she pressed her right earring. She pulled out a light blue compact computer and tried to follow the Dragon's movements with it as he flew in circles overhead. Sailor Moon's tiara boomerang and Sailor Venus' crescent beam attacks had no effect when they managed to hit him. "I can't get a reading on him while he's flying around!" said Sailor Mercury.

"Sailor Scouts, avoid his attacks if you can but keep him as still as possible!" ordered Luna. The other three Scouts charged to join the others as Sailor Mercury reopened her computer and began typing again. The Dark Dragon saw the other three Scouts emerge from and launched a dark energy fireball at them. He aimed the shot too high and it flew behind them - towards me and Sailor Mercury. I pushed her out of the way just as it flew through the alley, scorching everything in its path.

"Thanks! I think I have something." Sailor Mercury resumed typing and pointed the computer at the Dragon as the Scouts drew his attention away with their attacks. "Found it! Energy oscillations in the creature's hide! If you launch a quick flurry of dark magic attacks rather than a single powerful strike, you're bound to hit him when he's vulnerable!"

"Charon, I know you've seen the other Shadows perform a limited number of moves, but you can do this! Just stay focused and the rest will come to you!" promised Luna.

"Tell Sailor Venus I'm gonna need another boost up!" I shouted to Sailor Mercury as I ran out. I ducked back into a side alley when the Dragon flew overhead, then I charged out into the street. Sailor Mercury followed behind me, then split up to help the others. I could see the other Scouts spread out, launching magic attacks at the Dragon and running between the buildings before it could get a fix on them. They were all still standing, but I knew that they were getting worn out. Eventually, I found Sailor Venus near the Arcade.

"Ready to give it another shot?" she called out when she saw me. I nodded and up we went again: she threw her chain out, I grabbed it and launched right into the air as the Dark Dragon sat on the road and roared. As I let go of the chain, I managed to summon shards of dark energy at the creature and throw them at him. The first three throws caused ripples in his 'hide', but the fourth managed to penetrate. The dragon roared in pain and I landed on a rift in the creature. I summoned more dark magic to my right hand and reached into the Dark Dragon, causing him to shudder and scream.

"Finish him off!" I shouted and jumped off.

I could see Sailor Mars holding a piece of paper between her fingers and toss it into the air. "Mars Firebird Strike!" she shouted as she interlocked her hands and shot a fireball that took the form as phoenix as it hurtled towards the Dark Dragon.

"Jupiter...Thunder...Dragon!" Sailor Jupiter shouted. She unleashed a storm of lightning that took the form of another dragon. As their attacks smashed into the monster, the Dark Dragon raised his head towards the sky, screamed, and disintegrated. There was no trace of the Shadow.

Everyone else emerged from cover; the Sailor Scouts were visibly exhausted. Some had torn uniforms, dirt, and scrapes. I wasn't feeling great either, but I held myself together long enough to walk up to Serena and whisper "that wasn't so bad." She gave me a hateful glare.

"We'll never beat the other Shadows like this," sighed Sailor Jupiter as we all gathered in the middle of the road. Miraculously, it didn't look like anyone else had been hurt.

"At least we know we can beat them." Sailor Venus' words were upbeat, but she was breathing heavily. "We make a pretty good team, don't we?" she said to me. But something else was on my mind: I did not feel any sense of accomplishment defeating this Shadow, only regret...

"I thought that maybe some evil force was controlling the other Shadows, but he really believed that he was doing the right thing," I said without looking at anyone. "I know he didn't give us another choice, but..." my thoughts trailed off.

"Even if he really believed in what he was doing, that doesn't meant that he was right, Charon," Sailor Mercury said later.

"You gave him a chance to help us. A lot of innocent people are going to suffer if they win. You said it yourself, back in the arcade," added Sailor Moon.

"Why haven't other Shadows defected to our side, then?" I asked.

"Maybe there were others, but they didn't get the same chance to join us. Look, you chose to help us because you knew what they're doing is wrong, and we respect you for that" Sailor Mars answered. But the thought still nagged me_: what if Queen Serenity really was a tyrant? What about the side that I was on, then? Was I just fighting for the lesser of two evils?_

"Charon, I understand that you've been with us a short time and you've had very little time to process everything you've heard and seen," reassured Artemis.

"And he's probably tired and starving, I know I am!" complained Sailor Moon.

"Serena," Sailor Mars began to complain, "...actually, I'm hungry too." The growling stomachs, giant craters and formerly unconscious civilians beginning to stir all helped defuse the situation for the time being. But I still wondered if sharing my doubts with them had been a mistake...

**To Be Continued**


	9. Chapter 9: Bonding and Brawling

**Chapter 9: Bonding and Brawling**

"Well congratulations, Mr. Go-Easy-On-Me-Because-I'm-the-New-Guy!" Damien threw his cards down after I won a game of cards, but he was laughing along with the other Sailor Scouts sitting at the small wooden table in the middle of the light green room.

"Aw, don't be such a sore loser, Damien!" laughed Mina.

"You're just lucky you weren't playing against Amy, she would have wiped the floor with you!" Damien taunted me. "We're gonna find something to beat you!" I smiled and shook my head; Sailor Mars was the only person there who knew my original name, but the others were curious. So we made a game out of it. Mina suggested we race at the arcade: Mina came close, but I barely edged her out. Then Damien challenged me to a game of cards: it was a bit cheap for me to act like I'd forgotten how to play at first, but he could have pulled out a win if he had caught on sooner.

"I have an idea: how about we spar, one on one?" Damien stood up, stretched his neck and flexed his muscles. "I took karate, and you look like you learned how to fight long before you met Sailor Moon."

"Yeah. I've been picked on before. You'd be surprised how many people just stood there and watched me get beat up. But once I learned how to protect myself, the bullies left me alone," I answered sincerely.

"We can't have you two brawling in the middle of the Temple grounds" said Lita. "Besides, it's Raye's turn."

"That's OK - he already told me his name." Raye boasted.

"You told her and not me?!" Serena shouted at me. "I thought I was your friend, you traitor!"

"I thought that maybe his parents were two of those Hollywood celebrities that give their children weird names, that's why he doesn't want to tell us," suggested Lita. "Something like 'Choco Stick' or 'Tuna'..."

"It's probably something we'd never guess, like 'Vassili Cosmovich Patronymich Pavel!" joked Mina.

"If we all lose, then maybe we could call him 'Turtle'," suggested Rini.

"Why 'Turtle', Rini?" asked Amy. I feigned more interest in my cards to hide my disapproval of that name.

"Because when we were sitting in that Diner, he huddled up and hid behind the menu when he was ordering, like when a turtle climbs into his shell," Rini explained.

"You know we're just teasing you, right Charon?" smiled Mina. "Although we are gonna have to call you something else in public!"

I wasn't used to people trying this hard to get to know me. I'd had friends before, but never a group as tight as this. It was nice.

"If Raye's skipping her turn, then let's spar!" Damien said eagerly. "Come on, Charon, let's find a better room!" I followed him as he slid the door open, only to feel someone put me into a sleeper hold by placing her left arm around my neck and the other hand at the back of my head. My robes materialized around me as I bumped her back, elbowed her and flipped her over my back. My attacker had short light brown hair and also wore a tiara with a navy blue gem as well as a navy blue choker around her neck. She was another Sailor Scout. _Figures._

I looked up and briefly caught a glimpse of another Sailor Scout with sea-green hair before she surrounded herself in a water wave. "Neptune...Deep...Submerge!" She shouted and sent a ball of light blue energy at me...

"Neptune, no!" Damien jumped in the way of the attack and was thrown over my head.

"Damien!" shouted Serena when the other Sailor Scouts ran outside.

"You two are back?!" exclaimed Lita as Serena ran over to Damien.

"We know he's a Shadow! He helped us defeat the others!" Mina shouted at Neptune. Then she put a finger on her cheek and muttered, "we really should have sent out a memo."

"That would have been thoughtful! How many more of you do I have to look forward to meeting?" I yelled back before the Scout I had subdued kicked me back and propped herself back up.

"We're here to protect purity and goodness from harm," the light-brown haired Scout wearing navy blue declared.

"You've betrayed us before, and we know you have not fully mastered your powers! We will destroy you long before you can threaten us again!" declared Sailor Neptune.

"We told you, he's been helping us defeat the Shadows!" yelled Serena. "His powers are the key to stopping them!"

"And how many of them have you stopped on your own? Two? There are DOZENS of them!" Sailor Neptune told them.

"We know you sent the guardian cats to find a way to shield yourselves from dark magic, but we already found a way to destroy the Shadows in one fell swoop! Trust us, putting him down now is an act of kindness!" The Scout in navy blue raised her hand over her head and began gathering streaks of energy: "Uranus...World...Shaking!" I jumped out of the way when she hurled a planet-shaped sphere towards the ground that steadily rose as it moved in my direction.

"Moon...Cosmic...Power!" Sailor Moon shouted and transformed during Uranus' attack. "That's enough!" she commanded. She stepped in between me and the rogue Sailor Scouts. "What do you mean you found a way to destroy the Shadows?"

"All Shadows were touched by the power of the Silver Crystal," answered Sailor Uranus. "When enough of that power comes into contact with the dark magic inside them, it causes a chain reaction powerful enough to destroy them! We found an artifact that can amplify the Silver Crystal's power already dormant inside them! We just rest of you Scouts help us channel our energy into the artifact - their magic resistance to our powers won't protect them from this!"

"And what about him?" Serena asked.

" You and the other Sailor Scouts haven't been exposed to enough dark magic to threaten-"

"I asked about him, not me!" I could feel Sailor Moon reach behind and grab my hand.

Sailor Uranus turned to the rest of our friends as they watched from the sidelines. "Your leader is not thinking objectively! What's the life of one traitor worth compared to saving the entire planet?"

"If this is how you treat your allies, then you're no better than the Shadows!" I shouted from behind Sailor Moon.

"We'll just have to find another way to beat them!" shouted Sailor Moon.

"Even if there is one, this is the fastest way!" said Sailor Neptune. She also turned to the other Sailor Scouts: "I know we're asking for a lot Sailor Scouts, but you need to restrain Sailor Moon so we can do what needs to be done!"

I wasn't sure what they would do when the others transformed. I sensed that even Sailor Moon was a bit nervous. But they made their decision clear when they walked over to me and Sailor Moon and faced the other two Scouts.

"He's our friend too," said Sailor Mars. "You two have overstayed your welcome. You should leave before this gets ugly."

Sailor Uranus scoffed. "You're bluffing. Get behind them, Sailor Neptune!" she ordered.

Even I thought that the Inner Senshi might have been bluffing. But Sailor Jupiter crossed her arms over her chest and shouted "Supreme Thunder!" The skies darkened and a rod extended from her tiara as lightning came down from the sky.

At the same time, Mina shouted "Venus!" and sparks appeared spinning around her right hand. At the same time Sailor Jupiter sent the electricity she had gathered flying back at Sailor Uranus, Sailor Venus kissed the palm of her hand and shouted "Love and Beauty Shock!" A group of small yellow hearts circled around her, eventually gathering into one large yellow heart that struck Sailor Uranus.

"Amara!" cried Sailor Neptune from behind. She cradled the injured Sailor Uranus in her arms. "OK, you made your point! I'll try to talk her into giving you guys more time. I hope you're not making a colossal mistake." She gave me a look as she carried Uranus off the temple grounds.

"We are not making a good first impression, are we?" sighed Sailor Moon. I could hear Damien stirring in the background. Sailor Mini Moon and Mercury ran over to him.

"My name is Logan," I told Sailor Moon. "Thanks for standing up for me."

"What are friends for, right? Logan...could we call you 'Turtle' anyway?" Sailor Moon teased.

"Depends - can I call you 'Meatball Head'?" I retorted. Sailor Mars, Venus and Jupiter started giggling as Sailor Moon pouted.

"No you cannot." Sailor Moon turned to the Temple stairs. We could still see Neptune carrying Uranus back towards the city. "I hope Luna and Artemis find something..."

**To Be Continued**


	10. Chapter 10: In Another Castle

**Chapter 10: In Another Castle**

Luna and Artemis returned late in the afternoon. At least they looked optimistic.

"Good news!" panted Luna. "I believe we have located Charon's abandoned hideout in the forest!"

"How do you know it was mine? Or that it's still abandoned?" I asked. The others listened in the room behind me.

"I sensed the same dark energy that I did when we first met," answered Luna. "Even the other Shadows wouldn't be able to access your hideout, only you."

"What makes you sure the answers are in there?" I asked. Artemis turned nervously to Luna. She nodded.

"You were once the Spymaster of the Shadows, Charon. You were their leader, so if there is a way to help the Sailor Scouts defend themselves against their dark magic, you have it," Artemis answered.

I closed my eyes and tried to recall the dream I had on the night that I met Serena. The image of Princess Serenity - Serena in the white regal dress - lingered, but I remembered nothing else. "Besides that dream, I don't remember anything," I replied.

"Going back to the forest may jog your memory," suggested Artemis.

"Hold on a second!" shouted Raye. "Why didn't you tell us he was their leader earlier?"

"The identity of the Spymaster was kept secret, even from the other Shadows. Many doubted that the Shadows even existed, and very few people besides Queen Serenity knew who he truly was. I wasn't sure until I sensed his energy in the forest," Luna answered.

"Luna, Sailor Uranus and Neptune were here. They said that they had an artifact that could destroy anyone with enough dark magic inside of them. Could something that powerful actually exist?" asked Serena.

Luna paused for a moment. "There were stones and artifacts whose powers rivaled that of the Silver Crystal. We should not waste time searching for Charon's hideout."

"Hold on...if I remember correctly, a certain someone needs to get home soon because she's GROUNDED!" Serena mocked Rini and stuck her tongue out at her.

"You're in trouble too, Serena! You didn't call during finals week and you haven't even visited since you came home!" Rini yelled back.

"Oh, I uh..." Serena hesitated. Everyone turned their attention to her now.

"I can tell them if it's too hard for you," I suggested. I thought I was helping, but the glare she gave me could have burned a mark on my face. A lump in my throat formed when I realized that everyone else was staring at me now.

"Look, we don't have time for this," said Damien. "I'll take Rini home, the rest of you search for the hideout." Damien took Rini towards the city while the rest of us headed into the forest and followed Luna...already in uniform, just in case.

"Logan, you know why Serena hasn't been in touch with her family?" Sailor Mercury asked before we entered the forest. We were already far behind the others, and she slowed down walking as if she intended to remain out of their earshot.

"Yeah, but if she doesn't want to talk about it..." I trailed off.

"I'll be discrete, I promise," she assured me. I trusted her.

"She dropped out of college and she's working at a Texan restaurant. She's been living there."

Sailor Mercury was quiet for a few seconds. "She was never gifted academically. We had many study sessions together." She became starry-eyed as she reminisced. "But we all got busy and we drifted apart somewhat. She did well during her first year at university and she wanted to go to school in the US. I'm sure she feels guilty that her parents sacrificed so much."

"She didn't want to disappoint all of you, either," I told her as we entered the forest.

"Thanks for telling me, Logan," she smiled.

"Hey Logan!" Sailor Jupiter had stopped to wait for us to catch up. "Have you and Mina talked about...well, you know? Your feelings?" she asked.

"Feelings?" I pretended I had no idea what she was talking about.

Jupiter smirked. "Come on, pal. She hasn't exactly been subtle. Unless...you've had your eye on someone else."

I knew who she meant, but when I looked at her I could tell she was only teasing me. I found I had to think about what she asked for a few seconds. "With everything going on, I haven't really thought about how to handle it. I had a crush on Sailor V, but I don't know really know her personally. She seems nice, though."

Sailor Jupiter and Mercury laughed. "I'll tell you right now: if you get the flu, lock your windows and doors and don't eat anything she makes you. She'll try to take care of you. The key word is TRY," warned Sailor Jupiter.

"But she has a good heart, and she really likes you. You'll learn to accept her quirks," Sailor Mercury added with a smile.

The others stopped ahead of us. "This is where his energy is strongest. Now if only I could narrow it down..." Luna trailed off.

"Maybe we could split into pairs and look for it," suggested Sailor Venus.

"I wonder who Venus wants to go with," teased Sailor Moon.

"Clamp your trap, Serena!" shouted Sailor Venus.

My head turned sharply to the right when I heard movement. In the distance, I saw a teenage girl with long blonde hair and a white regal gown run by. Men wearing green uniforms and brown armored plates chased after her with blue energy swords - except one man who wielded a black ivory staff with a red gem stone on top.

_"Charon, where are you going?!" _I heard Sailor Venus shout after at me when I chased after the girl's pursuers. _"Charon! Slow down!" _one of the Sailor Scouts shouted. I climbed into a tree - unusually fast considering I had rarely climbed trees - and maneuvered through the forest with ease as I followed the warriors. I saw the one with the staff shoot a ray of red energy at the girl. She screamed as the blast hit her and she tripped. The four warriors who carried swords surrounded her; one of them kicked her over as she lay on the ground.

"It's her!" the warrior shouted as I sneaked over to a tree branch just above him.

"Queen Beryl will reward us greatly for capturing Princess Serenity!" exclaimed the dark magician just as I jumped down from the branch and landed on the swordsman below.

The moment that the others heard the noise, I threw a fog of magically-charged black smoke at the dark magician to stun him. When the other three warriors charged me, I teleported behind the one farthest away and hit him with a close-range blast of dark magic. The other two swung their swords at me: I grabbed one warrior's arm and used his sword to block the other warrior's strike. Then I kicked the attacker in the stomach, elbowed the swordsman behind me, and kicked the one on the ground in the head. I heard the dark magician that I had stunned earlier incanting: he raised his staff to strike me when I raised my hand in his direction and drained his energy. His own dark magic resisted mine, but ultimately I was much stronger. He cringed and grimaced before he crumpled to his knees and fell to the ground.

I ran to the girl and turned her over. She was the Princess in my dream: she looked like a younger Serena. She also had her hair in buns.

"Princess Serenity..." I whispered instinctively. She was cold to the touch.

"There you are! We're a team, remember? You can't just run off on your own like that!" I heard Sailor Moon shout behind me. The other Sailor Scouts caught up behind her. I thought she would understand when she saw the injured girl in my arms, but she had placed her arms on her hips again and her cheeks were flushed red.

"I'm sorry..." Princess Serenity whispered. I turned my attention back to her. She sounded exactly like Sailor Moon. "I didn't know where else to run..." I barely heard what she was saying before she passed out.

"What's gotten into you? Logan, I'm talking to you!" yelled Sailor Moon.

"Can't you see this girl needs our help?!" I shouted at the Scouts behind me.

I watched the anger in Sailor Moon's face fade as her eyes narrowed with confusion, then widened with concern. I noticed the others peeking over Sailor Moon's shoulder and glancing back and forth to each other.

Sailor Moon kneeled next to me. "Logan," she whispered, "there's no one there..."

**To Be Continued**


	11. Chapter 11: Home Away From Home

**Chapter 11: Home Away From Home**

A shudder went down my spine when I realized I that I was cradling thin air. "She was here," I pleaded with Sailor Moon. "Her name was Princess Serena, and I heard Queen Beryl's name mentioned!"

"You must be seeing something that happened a thousand years ago. But I don't remember ever coming here," Sailor Moon replied after a moment deep in thought.

"I hope it's just this place that's making you see things," Sailor Venus added. Another fear crept into me: what if I kept having these hallucinations?

"Maybe one of us should take Charon back to the Temple." Sailor suggested.

I shook my head. "No, you won't find what we're looking for without my help."

"Alright, try to give us a heads up if you start seeing things again," asked Sailor Moon.

As if someone was holding me by puppet strings, I walked towards a tree with a fading crescent moon carved into it.

"Don't check out on us, Charon. Keep talking to us," said Sailor Mars.

"This is the place," I told the others. As if by instinct, I summoned a ball of dark magic in my left hand while my right hand glowed with dark energy. I heard a barely audible clicking noise before the ground opened below me. Fortunately it was not a long fall.

"Good job, Charon," called out Sailor Mars as the others jumped down. "Let's not stay here any longer than we have to."

I expected a primitive cave with some trinkets and artifacts littered around. Instead, I saw a holographic map of Earth with an adjacent computer terminal in the largest part of the cave. There were other rooms carved out into the cave, blocked by dark purple force fields. "Either I'm seeing things again, or my ancient stronghold had a computer," I noted.

"It's OK Logan, I see it too. The Moon Kingdom was highly advanced for its time - it also had an advanced computer called the Eternity Main System," explained Sailor Mercury.

The computer terminal hummed as I approached it. A light blue holographic Shadow appeared in the terminal. His head was tilted so that his hood covered his face. "Online. Welcome back, Spymaster. Be advised, I am currently unable to connect to the Eternity Main System. But I see that you brought friends! Princess Serenity, you've grown into such a graceful and beautiful young woman!" The Shadow holocron bowed.

"Oh - thank you," answered Sailor Moon.

"Don't mention it - I wanted to see the Spymaster roll his eyes! Wait, you didn't roll your eyes...impostor! Activating defenses!" We all glanced around nervously. "Ha ha ha, just kidding! I was worried the Spymaster was becoming a hermit. He upgraded me just so he'd have someone to talk to."

"What a charming friend you made yourself, Charon," Sailor Mars noted sarcastically. At least it confirmed everything I'd seen had really happened in the past.

"Do you have any records from when Princess Serenity was here last?" I asked my computer assistant.

"You ordered me to purge all files before my last deactivation, Spymaster. My personality matrix is somewhat independent, but I won't recall very much until I reestablish my connection with the Eternity Main System. I did recover the last file you received: an encrypted message from Queen Serenity."

"Queen Serenity..." Luna sounded emotional at the thought of seeing Queen Serenity - and Serena's true mother - one more time.

"Let's see it," I ordered.

"Replaying transmission." The hologram Shadow changed instantly into the figure of Queen Serenity: a blonde woman in a white gown, older than Serena.

"Spymaster, first I wanted to thank you for your invaluable reports on Earth. I have never doubted your loyalty and compassion for the people of Silver Millennium, which is why I was shocked when you voiced your intention to resign. I plead with you to return to my palace so we may discuss this privately. I have instructed..." Queen Serenity's figure abruptly dissolved and reformed into the Shadow that greeted us.

"Apologies for the interruption, Spymaster. I am detecting an energy surge from an artifact unlike anything the humans are known to possess. It's..." A loud ringing noise burst my eardrums and I crumpled to my knees as I felt myself burning on the inside. My vision blurred just before I passed out...

* * *

_"...Her prolonged exposure to the Silver Crystal may have amplified the lingering effects of the attack." _My sight returned at the sound of my terminal's voice. I ran carrying Princess Serenity in my arms and rushed her onto a crude metal table. I realized that I had no control over my actions - I was just along for the ride. I rushed through one of the caves blocked by the dark purple force field and summoned a locket seemingly out of thin air. It was a black, heart-shaped diamond with the image of a silver palace in the middle. The chain and the back of the locket consisted of a gray, smooth rock-like substance like marble. I ran back into the room, placed the locket in my hand, and put both hands on Serenity's heart.

Serenity began to stir and open her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go,"she repeated.

"They didn't recognize me," I assured her. "I'm beginning to think this special friend you keep visiting is a boy. Who else would be worth the risk?"

"What difference does it make?"the girl asked defiantly.

_"_It's not safe for you to visit. Many people on Earth are...unhappy with some of your mother's policies. The men who captured you might have intended to keep you hostage." We both noticed Serenity losing interest with the politics involved. "But I have something that can protect you."Serenity's eyes sparkled when I showed her the locket.

"It's beautiful!" Princess Serenity snatched it from my fingers but her eyes quickly turned away in guilt over her rudeness. "Are you sure you want me to have this?"

"Your mother gave it to me to protect myself from the magic those men use, but I...I don't need it,"I explained. I knew the reason: because I had embraced that same dark magic myself instead.

Serenity's expression fell as her fingers rubbed over the trinket. "Oh...she might recognize it. She'd know I went to Earth without her permission."She sadly returned the locket to me.

"I think I have something more discrete." I returned to the room and pulled out lotus-shaped black pins with silver outlines. The back was coated in the same rock-like substance. "Pin this inside your gown. It may not protect you as well, but it can also absorb the magic those men use. I kept a few of these, in case I made any friends."

"You would have friends if you came home more often,"she stated as she pinned the trinket to the inside of her gown. "But you're not a researcher are you?"

"I am a researcher. I study the people of Earth and report back to the Moon Kingdom regularly."As I answered her question, I could feel my presence in the dream growing dimmer, as if I was reawakening...

_"But that's not the whole truth, is it? Friends help each other keep secrets, you know." _Serenity's voice became a whisper.

_"Maybe I'll tell you when you're Queen. For now, the less you know about me, the better..."_ My sight faded away entirely...

* * *

"Logan! You're awake! We were so worried when you collapsed!" Sailor Mercury's voice welcomed me back to consciousness. I felt myself lying on the same cold, hard table. Artemis was perched on the counter at the side of the room.

"First I hallucinate, now I just pass out. Great," I groaned.

"At least we know the cause this time. Your computer tracked the energy pulse; the other Sailor Scouts left to follow up after we brought you here. That computer really is a marvelous piece of technology. It makes me wonder what I can do with my own. I would love to come back to study it."

"Don't think you can dissect me, Sailor Mercury!" my computer's voice bellowed throughout the room. "I wasn't kidding about having defense systems!"

"Remember Sailor Venus wanted to be the one who stayed with Logan? That would have been disastrous for both of you," noted Sailor Mercury. _I should have guessed._

I abruptly tried to stand up, only to lean against the table when I felt my knees about to buckle. "Slow down, Logan, you're also dehydrated," warned Sailor Mercury. Sailor Mercury raised a glass of water and raised it to my lips.

"I had a locket...and pins in my room..." I whispered to Artemis.

"Warning, another energy pulse detected!" interrupted my computer's voice. Sailor Mercury tried to shield me. My insides were burning again but this time, I hadn't lost consciousness. "The good news is that pulse was considerably weaker than the last," briefed my computer. "The bad news..."

"Your bracer." Sailor Mercury held my arm up: the bracer was cracked around the area that held the dark shard.

"Yeah, that's the bad news. Not easy to get a replacement for one of those. Should still be functional," my computer continued.

"You think this is Uranus and Neptune's artifact?" I asked.

Mercury's eyes widened. "Come in, Sailor Moon!" she shouted into her communicator.

"I hear you, Mercury," replied Sailor Moon. "Is Logan OK?"

"He's fine, but there was another energy pulse! His bracer's cracked - we think Uranus and Neptune's artifact is behind this!" yelled Amy.

"Those two..." Sailor Moon sighed. "We'll stop them Amy, don't worry. Find what you're looking for and get back to us as soon as possible!"

I led Artemis and Mercury into my room - which looked like an empty cave to the naked eye - and found the locket and four pins where I found them last time. Mercury also looked enamored by the sight of the trinkets.

"It contains anorthosite," explained Artemis. "It's rare to find in its purest form, but anorthosite easily absorbs most forms of magic, while the cortosis weave draws magical energies towards it. Charon's bracer is woven from the same minerals."

"Far more practical than a black dinner jacket and cheap white mask, eh Spymaster? Unless your plan is to stand on top of a rooftop and throw flowers around while the Sailor Scouts do all the actual fighting," quipped the computer. "Sailor Mercury updated me on some of the things that have happened the last thousand Earth years. You'll always be my Spymaster, even if all the other Shadows are trying to kill you sir."

"We need to get these to the others," noted Sailor Mercury as she put on one of the pins. "Charon...I know you want to help but considering your condition, I'm not sure it's a good idea..."

"The Shadows won't just sit around while Uranus and Neptune try to destroy them," I protested. "The pins and locket will help but you still need me to stop them for good."

Mercury nodded. "All right. Stay close to me and let me know if your symptoms return," she requested...

She walked out of the room, towards the computer terminal and muttered, "it might be handy to know when the next energy pulse is coming. If you could communicate with the Eternity Main System, maybe we can share limited data via my super computer," she suggested.

"Are you sure you can trust it?" I warned her.

"Oh woe is me, my own master doesn't trust me!" The holographic Shadow began fake sobbing.

"He'll be on a very tight leash, Logan," Sailor Mercury winked and began typing on her keyboard. " Now, let's get back to the others..."

**To Be Continued**


	12. Chapter 12: Cross-Purposes

**Chapter 12: Cross-Purposes**

"I envy your robes, Charon. I wish we had warmer uniforms." Although we had run all the way from the forest, up the temple stairs, and back down into the city of Tokyo, Sailor Mercury was shivering. The temperature had dipped by nightfall. We passed by few people in the streets; most had taken shelter inside.

"Spymaster, I just detected another energy pulse, but it was so faint that it did not register until it had already been released." My hologram's voice rang from Mercury's supercomputer.

"I didn't feel a thing," I assured Mercury when she had stopped running. Her eyes widened as a thought occurred to me: "one of the Shadows we fought before mentioned another Ice Age. Do you think Uranus and Neptune's artifact is also causing the sudden dip in temperature?"

She nodded. "I thought the exact same thing, Logan. It must not work the way that they intended it to."

"Their artifact is supposed to destroy dark magic, but I felt stronger in the forest, not weaker. Besides the hallucinations and bracer damage, maybe it's having the opposite effect," I suggested. Sailor Mercury and Artemis exchanged nervous glances.

"That's a scary thought," said Artemis. "Even if you're becoming stronger too and remembering how to tap into your powers more effectively, we can't take them all on. If we can't stop Amara and Michelle, we might freeze to death before the other Shadows hunt us down."

Sailor Mercury pulled her computer back out and pressed her earring, sliding the VR visor across her face." Looking at your own computer's scans and combining it with your own data, I found several dark energy clusters on a building adjacent to the source of the pulses. The Shadows must have found a way to drain its energy and repurpose it for their use. That would explain why each energy pulse has been weaker than the last! Sailor Moon, come in!" Sailor Mercury called into her communicator."

"Brrr...frozen Sailor Moon here," stuttered Serena. "We're nearly at the artifact's last location."

"Serena, we found a way to protect ourselves against dark magic, but we believe that the Shadows are draining energy from Uranus and Neptune's artifact to change the weather!" exclaimed Mercury.

"Like they weren't hard enough to beat already," sighed Serena.

"Amara and Michelle are in close proximity to the artifact; you need to stop them from channeling their energies into it or destroy it!"

"Luna and I can try to talk down talk them down. You two, try to keep the Shadows preoccupied. Everyone else can head your way to help you out," said Sailor Moon.

I pulled out the amulet. "Can you get this to Serena?" I asked Artemis. He nodded, so I placed it around his neck and he took off.

"This mission would have been easier if this was still just a fishing village with a few huts," commented the computer.

"Amy, don't tell me you brought that thing with us," complained Sailor Mars over the comm.

"He's been helpful, Raye. He's been tracking the energy pulses, remember?" said Sailor Mercury.

The building where Sailor Mercury had detected the Shadows was a gray five-level apartment building standing next to an elevated subway track. Fortunately, there were stairs alongside the building - at least I thought we were fortunate. I could hear Sailor Mercury mumbling behind me. Once we reached the top, I peaked over the roof past the railing and saw three robed figures standing there. I could see that the other Shadows were also being affected by the artifact when I saw a fourth lying on the ground convulsing and mumbling. Two of the standing Shadows had their hands raised in the opposite direction, but their arms and knees were shaking. The final one was walking back and forth impatiently; his robes were more ornate than the others. While the others wore plain gray and black robes, his were emblazoned with gold and silver. His black crescent moon featured many red tally marks; I had the ominous feeling they represented foes defeated in battle. He must have been high-ranking; I wondered if he was their new leader.

"Why has no progress been made?" The high-ranking Shadow stopped pacing to yell at the others.

"The Scouts have stopped channeling their energy into the artifact, Commander. We can only gather trace amounts," said one of the struggling Shadows.

The Shadow kneeling over his comrade pleaded with the Commander: "sir, Disciple Rezonah needs medical treatment or his mind will be lost forever to these cursed hallucinations!" The Commander walked over to the fallen Shadow, dragged him up with one hand, then dropped him off the roof like a ragdoll. Behind the door, Amy clasped her mouth with her hand.

"Despite what the Spymaster says, weakness will not be tolerated in the new Silver Millennium." The Shadow Commander spat into the acolyte's face as he spoke. My heart jumped when he faced the door we hid behind: perhaps he sensed us, but he shifted his attention away when another Shadow teleported in front of him. While her robes lacked the silver colors and red tally marks, her robes were still more adorned than the basic Shadows. As she approached, I recognized her face under the hood: it was the woman that we had left in the alley. As distasteful as the alternative was, I knew it had been a mistake to let her go...

"Commander," she bowed. "The fool Scouts stopped channeling their energy into the artifact because Sailor Moon and her cat advisor are appealing to their consciences and all. They're arguing semantics with Sailor Moon. It's rather pathetic."

"The other Scouts and the turncoat can't be far behind. I can already sense them...but they shall become irrelevant soon enough. Remain here with the channelers. I will end Sailor Moon's interference." I breathed a sigh of relief when he disappeared off the rooftop; he hadn't sensed me and Mercury spying on them. I could hear footsteps up the fire escape, but I knew if they were Shadows I wouldn't have heard them. Sure enough, it was Sailor Venus, Mars, and Jupiter...plus one pink-haired Sailor Scout.

Sailor Mercury shook her head. "What are you doing here, Rini? Damien was supposed to take you home!"

"He did," sighed Sailor Mars. "She sneaked out again."

"Rini, we appreciate the help but there won't be much we can do if Serena's parents find out!" said Sailor Mercury.

"Serena's parents?" I asked Sailor Mini Moon. "I thought she was your sister."

Mini Moon looked disgusted with the idea. "No they're not, so they couldn't ground me in the first place." Rini noticed that I was confused; I thought they were sisters by how similar they looked and the way they acted towards each other. "Serena and I told everyone that we're cousins, but I'm actually her daughter from the future," she explained. "You don't believe me, do you?"

I shrugged. "Compared to transforming magical schoolgirls, wizard ninjas and an ancient computer from the Moon Kingdom, that's not so out of the ordinary. That Commander's headed right for Sailor Moon, we'd better hurry: I see four Shadows on the roof above us."

"Good thing we have these." Sailor Mercury pulled out the other pins I gave her. "They'll protect us from dark magic. There are only four of them, though."

"I'm fast, I can dodge their attacks easily," bragged Rini. I hoped she was right: I still remembered what happened to Serena. I signaled to the others I was going ahead and slipped up the railing as quietly as I could. The three channelers were preoccupied with draining whatever tidbits of energy they could. The female Shadow was standing at the edge of the building, peering off into the distance. The channeler that I approached turned just when I was about to slip my left arm around his neck, but I punched him in the stomach, placed him in a chokehold with one arm, and used my free hand to send dark magic surging through him.

One of the others heard him convulsing and struggling in my grasp. "He's here! The turncoat!" he shouted.

"Mercury Ice Storm...BLAST!" I teleported out of the way just as Sailor Mercury sent freezing water in the direction of the Shadow I downed, finishing him off. Now it was six of us against three of them on the large rooftop.

"Freezing water - that's the last thing we need!" complained the other Shadow. I reappeared behind him and struck him up close with dark magic, then used him as a shield when the female Shadow sent a dark energy bolt flying in my direction. She teleported away just as I sent my own flying at her.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Her fiery arrow caught the downed Shadow just as he was trying to pick himself up, removing him from the fight. It was encouraging to see how easily this fight was going, until...

"Sailor Venus!" Jupiter yelled. I saw Mina fly across the floor and into the brick wall. I grit my teeth in anger and struck her attacker with dark magic; Sailor Jupiter finished him with a Thunder Smash. Then I ran over to Sailor Venus without a second thought.

"I'm OK Logan, the pin works...well, it hurts a lot less." Sailor Venus picked herself up off the floor and smiled at me. "Thanks for the concern." But then I heard the last Shadow materialize behind me. She was about to strike me when I blocked her arm with my bracer and tripped her. She cackled like a maniac when she fell to the ground.

"At least your shackle serves a practical purpose," she mocked. She lifted her arms towards the sky as if she were surrendering, but as her sleeves fell, I saw that she wasn't wearing a bracer. Instead, several small pieces of a dark shard had been pressed into her skin.

"That looks like it must have been painful," commented Sailor Mini Moon. The others looked disgusted at the sight of the woman's arms.

I turned to the Sailor Scouts behind me: "Luna said I needed the bracer to focus and control my power, but she doesn't need one..."

"The guy in the arcade didn't have one either, didn't you notice?" asked Rini.

"Rini!" Sailor Mercury harshly quieted Rini, but her expression softened when she saw my eyes bombarding her with questions. "Logan, we were waiting for the right time to explain..."

The defeated Shadow laughed once again. "The Sailor Scouts lied to you. The bracer doesn't help YOU control your powers. It helps the Scouts control YOU..."

**To Be Continued**


	13. Chapter 13: Broken Friendships

**Chapter 13: Broken Friendships**

"Just tell me what she's saying isn't true," I begged Sailor Mercury and the others. I kept hoping they would deny it, but with each passing second of silence that hope slipped through my fingers.

"You were honest with me, Charon. It's only fair that I be honest with you." Sailor Mercury finally answered. "The bracer helps you focus your dark magic to some degree, but its main purpose is to restrict you from using certain powers and prevent you from using your dark magic against us."

"She's still hiding the truth behind nice words." The fallen Shadow's harsh snickering whistled through her broken teeth. "That bracer can do what the two fools below us thought their Siphon artifact could do: amplify the trace amounts of the Silver Crystal inside of you!"

"It wouldn't kill you, Charon!" Sailor Mercury blurted out the words as if they were engaged in a political debate with millions watching.

"They use it as pain compliance, like that electrical stun gun I used on the cop that tried to arrest me. You were Queen Serenity's puppet and her daughter just picked up your strings!" Her mockery made the Shadow the new focus of my anger.

"You had your chance to walk away last time." The Scouts may be the only ones who can destroy you, but I'm curious to see what a five-story drop will do to you!" I grabbed the Shadow by the arm and started dragging her.

"Charon, if you do this, then you're as ruthless as Uranus and Neptune!" Sailor Mars cried out.

"Yeah? Well I'm not sure you're any better than the Shadows at this point!" I shot back.

"Logan!" Sailor Venus' voice gave me pause just as I lifted the Shadow up onto the railing. "I know you've lost faith in us, but I still believe in you! You're a good person! Don't give up on yourself because we let you down!" Venus' voice melted away some of the rage that had ripped into my heart.

"Do it! Let me be remembered as a martyr to the purified Moon Kingdom!" The Shadow taunted me as if she was scared I wouldn't push her over. Staring into her jaundiced eyes, her face briefly shifted into Queen Serenity's. I could see the disappointment in her eyes. Returning to reality, I dragged the Shadow off the railing and dumped her on the floor.

"We're going after the other Shadow," I muttered briskly to the others. "I don't want to talk," I added when I heard Mercury quietly say my name. That artifact had to be destroyed and the Commander stopped before he could drain Uranus and Neptune's energy. _At least if I focus on stopping them, I'll have something else to think about for a while..._

* * *

Uranus and Neptune's artifact graced the rooftop of another large complex. Known to them as the Siphon, it was a golden tower-like structure ordained with crystals, twice the size of a person. Fighting alongside Sailor Moon, they fared poorly against the Commander of the Shadows as they battled for control of the artifact. He threw Sailor Moon into a brick wall and tossed Luna aside when she tried to tackle him. He caught Sailor Neptune in a headlock when she tried to strike him.

He paraded her in front of Sailor Uranus like a trophy. "You WILL resume channeling your energies through the artifact if you value your partner's life!" The Commander lifted his head enough so Uranus could see his rotted teeth grinning under his hood.

"Sailor Moon was right...you can't do what he says...Amara..." Neptune's voice strained against the Commander's arm choking the life out of her.

Sailor Uranus' eyes filled with tears. "All right, I'll do it, just don't hurt her!" she begged.

"It's hard to sacrifice someone you love, isn't it?" Sailor Moon's voice pierced the Commander's bloated ego. Even his mouth dropped as Sailor Moon casually stood in front of the wall she had been slammed into. Uranus hung her head in shame at the stinging truth of Serena's words.

The Commander recognized the black-heart shaped locket that Sailor Moon wore. "I didn't think you would turn one of our own against us. We are more alike than I thought. The turncoat gave that to you, didn't he?"

Sailor Moon raised her hands in the air as if she were motioning for a truck to stop from running her over. "OK, if we can't resolve this conflict peacefully, could we at least agree on what to call him? It's getting hard to keep track of all his names." She counted his names on her fingers as she quietly mouthed 'Charon, Logan, Turtle, Traitor, Turncoat, Spymaster...' She cleared her throat as she heard our footsteps clanging on the fire escape and made her signature pose: "anyway - I'm Sailor Moon and in the name of the Moon, I shall punish you!"

The Commander glared at me when I emerged onto the rooftop. His smirk was replaced by a chilling stare that sent shudders down my spine. "You are an even bigger fool than your successor! By giving the Sailor Scouts the means to destroy us, you have condemned yourself as well! You place far too much trust in your friend: she will betray you just like your mother did."

I copied his glare onto my face and snarled back, "I don't have any friends." Sailor Moon abruptly turned her head as if I had just screamed at her. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth abruptly closed as if I had just slapped her in the face.

"Logan, how can you say that? After everything we've been through?" she asked.

"He knows about the bracer," said Sailor Venus.

The Commander's smug grin crawled back onto his face. Uranus ran over to Sailor Neptune as he tossed her aside like an old doll and marched away from the artifact. "I knew your precious Moon Princess would take after her mother. You picked the wrong side, turncoat. Your name will also be struck from memory when the Silver Millennium begins again!"

Dark energy swirled around the Commander, forming an oval shield around his body and eight massive tentacles of dark energy writhed around him like a massive land kraken. Sailor Mini Moon and I jumped just as he began spinning his tentacles around, but he knocked all the other Sailor Scouts to the ground. I tried to teleport behind the hideous Kraken-Commander to attack, but he flung me across the rooftop. I barely caught the edge of the railing.

"Got you!" I felt a pair of small hands grab my sleeve as Rini pulled me up. "Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" she cried and pointed her wand at the Kraken-Commander. The silence and Rini's embarrassment stood in awkward contrast to the battle being waged in front of us.

"I think you need a new wand, Rini," I suggested.

Her face became scrunched. "It's not like I can just order another one online!" she pouted.

"Charon!" Sailor Uranus called out. "I know I'm the last person you want to talk to right now, but your trinkets won't help the others stop them!" I saw the Commander grab Sailor Mercury and Jupiter, tossing them around like ragdolls as they screamed.

"He's still draining energy from the Siphon..." Sailor Neptune muttered weakly. Although he was only drawing small slivers of energy, she was correct.

"Maybe I can channel my own energy through the Siphon. If he absorbs that instead, it might weaken him,"I suggested. Uranus looked nervous when I approached her artifact with hands glowing with dark energy. When I touched the Siphon, the roof shook and the ground cracked under my feet as my power surged through the artifact. The Commander's form disintegrated around him as the siphon drew his dark energy away as well. The other Scouts screamed and their hair was tugged by the artifact, but their energy was not being drained. The diamonds adorning the artifact cracked before the entire Siphon shattered. Energy from both the Dark Shard and Silver Crystal shot up towards the sky, creating a vortex that grew larger. After the vortex had grown to a massive size, I motioned towards the Commander and the vortex took the form of a massive nova. The ball of dark energy smashed into the Commander at lightning speed, taking a good portion of the building with him into the alley below. The Commander stumbled out from the pile of rubble just as we raced down to confirm his defeat, but Uranus and Neptune certainly wouldn't let him walk away...

"Uranus World Shaking!"

"Neptune Deep Submerge!" The Outer Senshi's powerful attacks struck the Commander of the Shadows full force, destroying him for good.

"If only these things had come with instruction manuals," sighed Neptune.

"Charon, that was awesome!" Sailor Jupiter called to me. I tilted my head when I faced her so she couldn't see my face as my rage from before came surging back full force. "Sorry, I forgot you're mad at us," she apologized in a completely different tone. I could hear Artemis call out Luna's name and hear her assure Artemis that she was alright.

I could sense Sailor Moon move closer to me and tilt down as if she was trying to see my face. I refused to even look at her. "Logan, we wanted to tell you-"

All the anger I had suppressed during the fight came billowing out at once as I shouted at Sailor Moon. "But you didn't! The worst part is that if you had told me what the bracer really did, I still would have helped you!"

"Logan, I'm the one who didn't tell you the full truth about the bracer, and I asked the others not to tell you. I should have trusted you," Luna apologized.

"But everyone went along with it!" When I finally looked up, I wished I hadn't when I saw Sailor Moon was as terrified of me as if I had turned into a dark magic dragon myself. But I couldn't suppress what I felt: "Serena, I thought you were my best friend here, but you've been lying to me this whole time! I can't trust any of you now."

"I'm sorry your feelings were hurt, Logan." Sailor Venus apologized when Sailor Moon remained quiet. Now she was the one who avoided my eyes.

"We didn't mean to upset you, Logan," added Sailor Mars.

Sailor Moon closed her eyes. "Logan, you can leave us if that's what you want. I don't want you to feel like we're making you stay."

"With this thing still on my arm?" I instinctively raised my bracer even though she wasn't looking.

"Your powers have reached a point where you might accidentally lose control of them," warned Luna. "The bracer will still help you control them."

"I really wanted us to be friends, Logan." Serena's voice trembled as she said those last words. I could hear her burst into tears and start crying as if she had wanted to for years.

"We're too different anyway." I tried to sound as monotone as possible, even though I felt like crying myself when I turned my back on the group I had wanted to be a part of more than anything.

"Charon!" I thought my anger had melted away but it resurged when Uranus called out after me. "Michelle and I are sorry about what happened back there-"

"You're only sorry that your plan backfired," I growled back.

"Before Serena reminded me how hard it is to sacrifice someone you care about, yeah. I thought I could do it if I had to but...Serena cares about you too. They all do." I tilted my head slightly towards her. I hadn't expected her to show a softer side. "And if you turn away friends like them, then you're either a jerk or an idiot."

I stared at the pair speechless as they walked away. It was like the world had turned upside down: now I was the cold-hearted one. I turned back to where Sailor Moon and the others had been standing, but they were already gone. As hurt as I was, I just couldn't leave the Sailor Scouts on that note. There had to be some way to fix this. _Maybe I'll stop by the restaurant Serena worked at tomorrow. Maybe a night apart will help. I just hope it's only for one night..._

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Thank you for reading, especially those of you who have stuck with me since the beginning! This chapter was especially hard for me to write: I always planned on Sailor Moon and Charon being friends. However, I always saw her and Tuxedo Mask as destined for each other and didn't want to split them up. If Logan did enter a relationship, it would be with one of the other Scouts (you may find out next chapter!) But Sailor Moon and Charon's friendship seemed to write itself sometimes and they became closer than I had originally planned. It hurt to bring them to this point. But I have ideas for the next chapter and hope to get it up soon!

Reviews and private messages - praise, feedback and criticism alike - are welcome and highly appreciated! I'm hoping to put some polls on my profile as well. Thanks and I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far!


	14. Chapter 14: Roses Blossom In Winter

**Chapter 14: Roses Blossom In Winter**

"Sorry hun, Serena's not on the roster for t'day," the waitress at the Texas barbeque restaurant told me the following afternoon. The restaurant had been repaired from the damage of my confrontation with the recruiter and it was completely packed. Snowflakes drifted down from the white sky over Tokyo when I went out into the streets. It had been a miserable day so far: last night kept repeating itself in my head. I couldn't sleep last night or enjoy the sights this morning. Once again, I felt conflicted: as scared as I was that the Sailor Scouts hated me for all that had been said last night, I couldn't just leave them. Not only to

I heard something rustle one of the bushes near the restaurant. It was too large to be a bird or a small animal. "I know one of you is hiding there," I said to the bush. Mina emerged wearing a purple jacket and carrying a large brown handbag.

"I'm sorry," said Mina, "we were afraid you would go home without saying goodbye."

"I admit, I thought about it," I confessed. I instinctively looked away when I saw Mina frown. "I thought you guys might hate me for what I said last night."

Mina stood closer to me so that I could see her smiling. "How could we possibly hate you? We missed you last night!"

I saw Artemis sticking his head out of Mina's handbag - it looked cozy in there. "Hey Logan. She's right, it's become so quiet at Raye's temple. I heard Serena and Damien had a fight and she hasn't left her room ever since."

Deep down, I knew the fight had something to do with my decision to leave. But still..."I don't think I'm ready to go back just yet. I could see the child-like hope in Mina's face give way to disappointment as she nodded, but I also noticed she was shivering. I smiled a bit and said, "but if you want, we can still hang out. Come on, it's warmer inside." I motioned to her to follow me.

"Serena!" An older man with thinning white hair, a white beard, and wrinkles in his face that contrasted with his youthful enthusiasm waved his arm towards the door. I saw that Mina had followed me in when I turned around. As I would expect from the manager of a Texan-themed restaurant, he wore a black cowboy hat red shirt with a white bandana tied around his neck.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Mina smiled and bowed courteously as everyone else in the crowded waiting room looked at her. "I'm not - "

"I know, not your shift t'day but we've been swamped since I got the place up'n runnin and word got 'round the Sailor Scouts were back in the saddle. Plus I ain't servin tables till I find my contacts! I'll pay y'overtime, jus' need ya for an hour! I need ya suited up in 10 minutes, please? Thank y'kindly, m'dear!" The manager tipped his hat, then charged through his waitresses like a bull towards the bustling kitchen.

Mina stared blankly where the manager had gone inside. "That must have been the manager. Hmm, Serena never told us she worked here." Her thoughtfulness slowly returned to her face. "But the extra cash might cheer her up! You know what they say: a friend in greed is a friend in need!"

Now I was the one standing there dumbfounded. "Um...I'm pretty sure that's not how it goes..."

"Mina tends to mix up her proverbs," Artemis explained from inside her handbag. "At least she corrects herself once in a while, now. I was hoping two years of college would do more for her, though."

Mina rolled her eyes in the direction of her handbag. "I can handle an hour of waitressing! I'm just curious: was he speaking English?" she asked.

"Southern dialect," I tried to explain. "The other waitresses use it too. It's a little different. Like instead of 'you all' or 'you guys' say 'y'all'."

"Yuh-all," she tried repeating.

"One word: y'all. Like yawn," I corrected her.

"Y'all."

I smiled. "Perfect! And if a word ends in 'g', drop it. Like say 'walkin' instead of walking."

"OK, I got this!" she clasped her hands together and jumped.

I couldn't help but feel excited about teaching Sailor V something. "Great, now when you introduce yourself, say something like 'howdy! How bout I rustle y'all up some grub?" My enthusiasm evaporated a bit when Mina's eyebrows crept towards each other again. There just wasn't time to explain everything. "That means 'can I get you something to eat'?"

_"_You're having fun, aren't you Logan?" Artemis asked from inside Mina's bag.

"Too bad this isn't a California restaurant. I totally have their lingo down!" Mina pointed towards the roof with her pointer finger, then sighed. "If only we had a disguising pen, then you could fill in for Serena!"

"It would take more than a disguising pen for that to work, Mina!" chastised Artemis.

"Hopefully it'll be like being a Shadow or a Sailor Scout and it'll just come to you," I suggested. Mina and Artemis both sighed. "Well, we don't want to get Serena fired, so you might wanna mosey on down 'n suit up! That means go downstairs and get changed," I explained when she stared blankly.

Mina handed me her bag and went to change. Artemis poked his head out. "Enjoy the show. I can see we won't be getting a seat for a long time."

Mina gave me a wink when she reemerged in the same uniform as the other female servers: the cowboy hat, white bandana around her neck, red shirt, white short skirt, and long brown cowboy boots. It was a good fit - albeit a bit snug in certain places - and she looked rather cute in it. Unfortunately, within fifteen minutes of her waitressing, it was clear that the uniform was the only thing that went right...

"Sorry hun, but I'm from Houston and I ain't got a clue what yer sayin," I heard one man in the dining room tell her. _Figures, what are the odds of someone who's actually from Texas showing up AND sitting at Mina's table the one time she's serving?!_

"Miss, you gave me tomato soup instead of tomato bisque," another customer asked. I could see Mina pick up the soup - or bisque - and lean in close trying to figure out what was the difference.

"Miss, I ordered a quesadilla. Last time, you brought me nachos and this is a burrito!" A customer complained.

"Sorry bout that, partner. I'll fix that up for ya!" she apologized. The customer redirected her towards the kitchen when she started walking the other way and nearly bumped into another server carrying a full tray of food.

"At least they didn't put her in the kitchen. If they do, just run," Artemis said.

"At least she's sort of getting the language right," I whispered back. My heart jumped when the manager emerged just as Mina asked one of the chefs behind the line what the difference was between a burrito and quesadilla.

"Yee-haw! Found m'contacts!" exclaimed the manager. His smile turned itself upside-down when he saw 'Serena'. "Y'feelin right, hun? I hear yer all thumbs, t'day, more 'n usual..."

"This isn't good. Getting Serena fired will NOT improve her mood!" Artemis exclaimed. I had no idea what to say or do to keep that from happening, but I had to come up with something...

"Y'look different too. Y'got rid of dem buns," further quizzed the manager. Mina wasn't saying anything - either out of fear he'd know she wasn't Serena the moment she opened her mouth, or because she still hadn't grasped the language.

I marched over like (what I thought) a proud cowboy would do. "Sorry, sir. This is kind of my fault," I apologized. The manager and Mina both looked taken aback. "She's a bit nervous because...well...I asked her out here on a date!"

The manager's jaw dropped and Mina's eyes widened like plates as her face turned bright red. Artemis screeched from inside her bag. I thought that the manager was going to pick me up and throw me out the window, but instead a wide grin grew across his face. "Shucks, now I feel awful fer ruinin yer fun! You must be that Damien feller she's always goin on about!" he asked.

"That's me! Always showing up at the last moment to support my gal! Not one moment sooner!" I laughed. "Well, I should let you get back to work - "

"Y'kiddin?!" the manager grabbed us both and practically threw us into a nearby open booth. "Crowd's thinnin out, I can take it from here, Serena! Lemme get y'all a free app sampler, on me for yer trouble!" I returned a nervous smile. We were lucky Serena's boss was a nice guy.

I turned to look across the aisle and placed Mina's bag on the table. "Now we just need to make sure he never sees Serena with the real Damien. I get the feeling he doesn't like cheaters." When I turned back to Mina, I realized that she hadn't heard a word I said...in fact, I think everything happening around her faded into the background as she gazed at me through widened eyes, with her elbows on the table and her chin resting on her hands. I could see massive hearts flying out of eyes and feel them striking me full force like one of her attacks. It...was actually pretty intimidating.

"And to think, I wondered if you even noticed me." Her voice took on an airy, floating quality as she spoke. My heartbeat grew so loud, I started worrying about others hearing it.

"Er...I knew," I stuttered to break the tension. I could see Artemis peeking out from inside the bag. I wish I could have seen his face: I could picture him shaking his head and saying _Mina, you know he only said this was a date to keep Serena out of trouble. _But he didn't. And I was sort of glad he did. It's not like part of me hadn't wanted this...

Instead, Artemis was supportive. "Well, I'm glad you finally found the right guy, Mina."

"I can't wait for us to go back and tell the others!" Mina brought me crashing back to reality.

"I'm still not sure about going back..." I shrank in my seat as I said it.

Mina reached out for my hand. "They'll be happy to see you again, Logan. Besides, the gentlemanly thing to do is to walk me home! Like the saying goes: the anticipation of fear - no, that's not it - the death of - hmm, wait, I got it! The fear of death is worse than death itself! I think..."

"You got it right! Congratulations Mina!" Artemis chimed in.

I awkwardly smiled back at her, but I thought _well, if the saying's true, then at least Serena's going to kill me when we go back..._

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! I think the last couple chapters were a bit heavy, so I wanted to write something a bit more light-hearted and funny this time. I've had it in my head for a long time and I hope y'all enjoyed it! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself)

As always, reviews and private messages welcome! Thinking of adding some polls to my profile as well - let me know if that's something you'd be interested!


	15. Chapter 15: Snowflakes and Meatballs

**Chapter 15: Snowflakes and Meatballs**

The flurries had turned into a full-fledged snowfall by the time we left the restaurant. I hoped to delay going back to Raye's temple with a tour of the city, but that wouldn't happen now.

"It really isn't fair that the Shadows ruined your vacation," said Mina as she huddled with me in the cold and trudged back to the Temple. "There's so much to see around here, but the weather's just horrible. Hopefully things will turn back to normal when we stop them."

"On the plus side, if the weather doesn't change my flight will get delayed. I'm supposed to go home in two days," I told her.

"Already?!" pouted Mina. I kind of regretted telling her. "Hmm, there must be a way we can keep you here longer, at least until we can come to visit you. Hey, you should try out for star auditions! I could be your coach!" she suggested.

"And do something in front of dozens of people?" I asked.

"Think bigger, Logan! Thousands, millions, maybe even BILLIONS of people, screaming your name every time you walk down the street and watching your every single move! She was entranced by the thought...while I was thinking I'd rather jump into an erupting volcano than stand on a stage with the spotlight on me.

"Or he could just get a later flight and stay with one of us," suggested Artemis from the safety of Mina's handbag. "No planes will be taking off in this weather."

Mina clasped her hands together. "But if we can make him a star, he could stay with us several extra weeks, maybe even months! Or we could go with him - we could be like his roadies!"

"But you still have university," I reminded her.

"And you're still breaking out yourself, remember?" said Artemis.

Mina's mood seemed to sour a bit as she fell back into reality. "You're right. I got carried away again. Just...think about it, OK Logan? I won't be ready to say goodbye in two days."

"I'm not leaving before we stop the Shadows from freezing us to death. Don't worry," I assured her.

With each step closer to the Temple, my pace grew slower and slower until Mina was practically dragging me towards a pleasant smell coming from the dining area. Amy and Raye sat at the table as Lita pulled a tray of freshly-baked cookies out of the oven...which were shaped like lips for some reason I didn't want to know. Mina was right, though: they all smiled when they saw us walk through the sliding door.

"Logan, you came back!" exclaimed Raye.

"I told you he would!" called Amy.

"Sorry about what I said last night. I didn't mean what I said last night, about us not being friends," I admitted.

Lita smiled. "I know. We're sorry too. I'm just happy you're back!"

Mina swung her arm around mine like we were square dancing. "Glad to hear it! I wouldn't want to see my best friends and my boyfriend ignoring each other!"

Raye's smile instantly disappeared."You two are dating?!" she shouted as she placed her fists on the table. Amy choked on her drink and Lita fumbled with the tray of cookies as if the concept of Mina having a boyfriend was completely foreign to them.

Mina was fuming. "Don't look so surprised, guys! I met him earlier in front of this Texas barbeque. It turns out Serena's a waitress there and her manager thought I was her, so to help cheer Serena up I did an hour's work for her!" Mina sped through the words as if she was overdosed on caffeine.

"You impersonated Serena and waited tables for your first date?" Lita asked the words slowly as if she was speaking to us in our second language. The three of them now stared at us wide-eyed.

"I'm sure it was more romantic than it sounds," Amy tried to give me the benefit of the doubt.

"At what point did the two of you agree to consider this a date?" asked Raye.

"It's not like we expected that to happen! Let me finish, guys!" Mina pouted. "Anyway, Logan talked to the manager and he was so sweet, he gave us a table and a free appetizer sampler and it was perfect!"

Their expressions softened a bit. "That reminds me of when my last boyfriend - " began Lita.

"Not another 'ex-boyfriend' story!" Raye complained as Amy sighed.

Lita set the tray of cookies down on the counter and faced Raye. "Hey, this one was sweet! We're just not dating anymore!" shouted Lita.

Amy put her arms on the table and buried her head as Mina, Raye and Lita launched into a shouting match with each other. I noticed Luna appear and perch herself up on the chair next to me. "I wanted to apologize again, Logan. Even though you passed the test, I still felt that we needed to take precautions. You've done nothing to deserve this level of distrust."

I watched the three Sailor Scouts arguing. We didn't need to keep digging up old wounds. "That's behind us now," I assured her.

Luna nodded, then shook her head towards the girls as they continued bickering. "I thought two years of university would make them more mature, but every day is the same thing."

Artemis leapt away from Mina's handbag and joined her. "Maybe you should try setting a better example for them. You still call me Klutz the Cat," he pointed out.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't state facts," she quipped. Artemis and I both sighed, then I turned my attention back to the argument still erupting in front of us.

"Why can't you be happy for someone else for once, Raye?!" yelled Mina.

"I'm happy for both of you, even though you've become such a snob, Mina!" Raye shouted back.

"I can't sleep with you guys yammering..." Everyone halted their arguing and stared in the hallway as a dreary Serena crept through the door. Her hair was unkempt and her eyes were puffy as if she had been crying for hours. Whatever feelings of betrayal and anger that still lingered evaporated when I saw how miserable she looked.

"Sorry, Serena. Here!" Lita grabbed the tray of freshly-baked cookies off the table. "I made these just for you!"

Serena barely glanced at them before saying "I'm not hungry." My eyes widened when I saw she wasn't wearing the locket I gave her to protect her from dark magic.

"We know that's not true," said Ami.

"You're not wearing the locket I gave you," I pointed out.

"I forgot to give it back," she muttered without looking at me.

I stood up. "Serena, I'm not mad at you anymore. Please put it back on."

Serena continued looking blankly at the ground. "You should give it to one of your friends instead. Or maybe your girlfriend."

"Maybe we should give you two some privacy," suggested Artemis. As the others left, Mina rubbed my shoulder. I caught Serena sneaking a glance. Luna chose to stay behind.

"I'm worried about you, Serena," said Luna. "Even before Logan showed up, I've seen you completely miserable sometimes."

"Maybe it's time you told them that you dropped out of school," I suggested. "Mina found out that you work there."

"I heard," she acknowledged. Still refusing to look up, Serena walked slowly towards the table and sat down. "I can't be Sailor Moon again. How can I lead a team when I can't even get my own life together?"

"Because you've done it before. Several times," I reminded her. I couldn't let her just give up.

"Logan's right, you've come a long way from the crybaby I met. Even if you take a few steps back every once in a while," added Luna.

"We all stumble," I interjected.

Serena finally looked up at me. She carried that defeated look in her eyes, like she really was about to quit. "I can't even be a decent friend anymore."

"You were," I argued. "You saved me from the recruiter. You stood up for me when the others didn't trust me. And you protected me when Uranus and Neptune wanted me out of the way. I couldn't ask for a better friend than that."

Serena finally smiled. "I thought you wouldn't come back. I'm glad you did."

"I went back to the restaurant you worked at hoping we could talk," I said as I returned her smile. Then I looked down as I told her: "I have a secret to share, too: I didn't plan on asking Venus out. I just wanted someone to talk to, so I invited her in. But then your manager came along and she wasn't taking to the job quickly enough. I was worried you'd get in trouble, so I said she was nervous because I just asked her out."

Serena pondered for a moment. "Do you like her though?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I do."

She smiled again. "That's the only thing that matters. When I met Darien, we had zero intention of asking each other out. 'Meatball Head' was his idea."

"Really? Nobody thought of it sooner?" I asked.

Serena shook her head. "I've been called Bun Head and Dumpling Head too, but they didn't catch on," she replied.

"Yeah, Meatball Head has a certain charm," I teased.

She punched me in the shoulder and smirked. "That's enough, Turtle. You know, the thing with Lita's cookies is they get hard pretty fast. Then they don't taste nearly as good."

"It would be a shame if that happened..." I agreed.

"My thoughts exactly!" Serena's mood brightened as she stuffed one of the cookies in her mouth. "I know you're wondering why she makes them shaped like lips. Usually there's a guy involved."

"I'm glad you're feeling better Serena, but Darien wouldn't be happy to find out you gorged on all these cookies by yourself," noted Luna.

"Where are my manners? Help yourself, Logan," Serena offered. The aroma of the cookies and Serena's clear approval of Lita's cooking overwhelmed my sense of modesty...but as I reached for one, I caught Darien glaring at us through the door...

**To Be Continued**


	16. Chapter 16: Serena's Soap Opera

**Chapter 16: Serena's Soap Opera**

Serena noticed me staring at the doorway and turned her head in that direction. "Oh, hey Darien!" Her bubbly demeanor suggested that she hadn't taken a good luck at his face. His upper lips were curled and the darkness I saw in his eyes rivaled that of the Shadows we had faced before.

"Do you have something you want to tell me, Serena?" I could see one of his hands was clenched as the other pushed open the sliding door. It was as if he was just waiting for her to give him the slightest reason to punch me in the face. I hadn't known him long, but I could see this was a marked change of character from the Darien I first met.

All the positive reinforcement and light-hearted moments I had given her seemed to fade in an instant as fear crept back into Serena's face. "Yeah, there is something. Might as well get everyone in here and get it over with, right?" she asked me.

I knew that what Darien had jumped to conclusions and expected Serena to admit to something completely different from dropping out of college. I wanted to try to clue Serena in subtly, or at least give Darien a hint that the scene he witnessed wasn't what he thought. Unfortunately, Darien cut me off the instant I opened my mouth. "How dare you two just carry on like I'm not even here!" he shouted.

I was experiencing deja vu as Serena gave Darien the same glance of surprise and betrayal she had given me when I told the Shadow Commander that she wasn't my friend. I heard a group of footsteps coming towards the door as Serena stood out of her seat to face Darien. "This isn't about last night!"

"Venus and I are dating!" I blurted out in a last-ditch attempt to prevent Darien from royally screwing up his relationship with Serena as the sliding door opened and Amy, Mina, Lita and Raye came through and joined us around the table.

Ever the easily distracted type, Serena's old self burst right back in. "That's right! The Goddess of Love has finally found her man!" exclaimed Serena in a moment of joy. I mentally patted myself on the back for saving Darien's relationship, only to see the anger in his face replaced by scorn. The moment he opened his mouth, I realized there was nothing I could do to save him from bringing hell upon himself...

"Serena, I know you were disappointed when I called off our engagement - " the word _engaged _rang through my mind like an echo - "but that doesn't mean you can see me and Logan at the same time. And Mina doesn't deserve to go through that either," Darien said firmly. He looked a bit smug as he crossed his arms, as if he were proud of himself, but I could see the curse words flowing through his mind when Serena's jaw dropped.

"That's what you thought I was going to say? That I'm cheating on you with Logan?!" Serena thundered.

I was amazed by how quickly the tables had turned as everyone else in the room gave Darien an icy glare. "She wouldn't do that to you," Raye addressed him firmly.

"And how dare you accuse my boyfriend of being a homewrecker, you jerk!" Mina clenched her fist and shouted. I actually felt sorry for Darien at that very moment.

Darien looked bewildered. "Logan was serious about you two dating?" he asked. Mina overtook Serena for the angriest-looking person in the room at that point. I stood up from my seat and walked back towards the door where I could see everyone, hoping to keep this argument from getting out of hand.

"Princess Serenity and I are just friends. She keeps coming to Earth to visit you." I assured Darien. Darien's face hadn't changed, but his eyes were upon me, confirming he really had heard what I said. I thought that he was just surprised I was so stern with him until I saw the same confusion was now shared by Serena, then Luna, the other girls and even Artemis. It suddenly dawned on me that there was something wrong with what I said, but my brain seemed to freeze as I analyzed and reanalyzed every word I just said...

"You meant to say that Serena kept coming to Earth to visit him, right Logan?" Luna finally corrected me.

"Of course I did," I answered briskly, but panic set in my mind. _Why hadn't I recognized my mistake on my own?_ I felt everyone's eyes burning holes into me as they watched me isolate myself in the corner. _Had_ _they even blinked?_

"You know we're in the 21st century, right?" Darien asked me. I took offense to his tone, as if I was a child, and I glared back at him. Catching the hint, he turned to Serena. " I heard about what happened in the forest. Now he's calling you Princess Serenity. "

"I haven't had any hallucinations since the siphon was destroyed," I asserted. I could see the girls looking at each other as if they were deciding whether to believe me.

"But we don't know if the siphon caused them," persisted Darien.

"You're blowing this way out of proportion, Darien!" Mina jumped to my defense. "It was an innocent slip of the lung!"

"Tongue, Mina" corrected Amy.

"Close enough!" Mina replied.

I sensed Serena's head turned towards me. "You'll tell us if you started seeing things again, right Logan?" Serena asked. Unlike Darien, her tone was gentle and non-judgmental.

"Of course I would," I replied as I turned to her.

This time, I had a hard time reading the mix of emotions in Serena's face, but she turned to the others and said "that's good enough for me."

"I can take another look at him if it'll reassure you Darien," offered Amy, "but he looks much better than he did yesterday. I think he's fine." I could see the others nodding. I implied Amy was the most knowledgeable Sailor Scouts, and the others trusted her implicitly.

"Let's not forget the original reason we came here. You wanted to tell us something, Serena?" Raye reminded us.

Serena cringed with discomfort after she returned to her seat. "Just promise you guys won't get mad at me," she pleaded.

"Of course not," Lita assured her.

"Why is that promise not a comfort?" sighed Luna. Her comment earned her some angry glares from the others, but I understood her point all too well.

"Alright well the truth is," Serena hesitated. I caught her glance at me as if she hoped that I would finish her sentence for her, but she pushed the words out: "I flunked out of university." The others gasped...except for Amy, who already knew.

"Serena!" Raye blurted out her friend's name in shock. After Lita elbowed her, Raye's posture and tone became more sympathetic. "I mean, Serena? You did well on your entrance exam and your first year of university. What happened?"

"It was different in California," answered Serena. "There were so many distractions, like the parties and the games and sitting next to so many cute surfer hunks - " She broke into an awkward grin when she saw Darien start glaring at her again. "Not that I was romantically interested in them. Some of the professors were really strict, too. And I didn't make a lot of friends there. I couldn't face my parents when I came home, and then I met the manager of the place I work at now. He was so nice, he offered me a job and a place to stay. But I didn't really talk to anyone about it until I met Logan. I thought you would all think you wasted your time on me." Darien turned away looking awfully guilty when she finished her last sentence.

"Of course you're not a waste of time, Serena!" Luna said adamantly.

"I'm sorry that I returned so few of your calls, Serena," apologized Amy. "I became so busy with the pre-med program that I lost track of time."

"Similar thing happened to me. I got so caught up with trying to get my foot in the door that I forgot about the people closest to me. I'm so sorry, Serena," added Mina.

"We all could have done a better job at keeping in touch with each other," admitted Raye.

"It's not your fault, guys. I should have been able to make it on my own." Serena sighed.

"Well, we're here for you now," assured Lita.

"And you're always welcome to stay here," offered Raye.

"And we definitely won't tell Rini," promised Mina. I noticed the others nodding in agreement.

A smile slowly made it's way back on to Serena's face. I was sure she felt relieved to have the weight of hiding such a large secret from her best friends lifted off of her. "Thanks guys."

"I feel so stupid Serena," admitted Darien. I could see him shaking his head in disbelief that he completely misjudged her entire situation. "I know how hard studying in another country can be. It just never crossed my mind that it would be hard for you, too. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

Serena clasped her hands together and gazed towards the sky. "Oh, it's nothing that a very romantic, very expensive dinner can't fix!" I could tell she was joking, but Darien was visibly sweating as he forced a smile. "And be nice to Logan," she requested. "He's been a good friend."

Darien turned to me and nodded politely. "Fair enough. No hard feelings?" Darien turned to me and extended his hand. "I studied in New York," he added when I hesitated to return his gesture. Everyone else looked puzzled: maybe they thought there was some cultural confusion, but there was something about Darien's gaze and stance that made me uncomfortable, something that hadn't been there when I first met him...

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**A/N: **Hey everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know it's one of the slower-paced ones, but I felt it was necessary for character development. But the renegade Shadows - and the action - will be returning to the spotlight soon! As always, reviews and messages - including criticism - are welcome and greatly appreciated! Hope you still enjoyed this chapter!


	17. Chapter 17: An Unexpected Lesson

**Chapter 17: An Unexpected Lesson**

Darian slowly withdrew his hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," he conceded.

"He's trying to apologize, Logan!" pleaded Serena. She was on the verge of tears.

I decided to stomach the feelings of discomfort I had for the sake of Serena and the group. "I accept your apology." I offered my hand and forced myself to look at his face. His expression was completely blank, like part of him wasn't even there. I cringed, expecting some nasty surprise, but he shook it without anything happening.

"Why are you two being so weird?" Raye sounded cross.

"It's OK." Darien turned to her. I thought I saw him smile out of the corner of his mouth. _Maybe it's just my mind playing tricks on me_...

We were not expecting someone to knock on the door and slide it open. Standing in the snow was a man with brown hair and a brown beard. I estimated he was in his late twenties to early thirties and several inches taller than me - easily over six feet tall. He wore a karate gi with a black belt: it was odd that he wore nothing over his uniform considering how cold it was outside. He faced Raye and bowed. "I apologize, Priestess. My name is Henry. I wish to speak with your grandfather."

"I regret to inform you that my grandfather has not been well for quite some time." Raye informed him. "Please, come inside!"

The karate master stepped into the crowded room. "I'm sorry to hear that. Please give him my best wishes and sincere hopes that he recovers in time for the martial arts exposition."

"I completely forgot I signed up for that!" blurted out Lita.

Henry's straight face elicited a small grin. "I'm glad I reminded you. I've seen you fight before: you're very talented."

Lita blushed, then bowed. "Thank you, Sensei. My name's Lita."

"Please, just call me Henry," he insisted. He glanced around the room at the friendly faces; I saw most of the girls smile when he caught their eyes. "I've seen most of your friends with you before, Lita," he wondered aloud before his piercing green eyes came across me. "But you I don't recognize..."

"This is my new friend, Logan," Lita introduced me. "He gets shy around new people, but he's a great guy," she added when I instinctively turned away from his look.

"He's a fighter, too!" Mina piped in.

I could sense Henry step towards me closer. "Is that so? Have you taken karate , Logan?" he asked.

I cleared my throat and forced myself to look at him. There was nothing in his face to suggest he meant me any harm; his eyes were filled only with curiosity and his presence radiated warmth. "A little bit...when I was a kid. Though I picked up a lot of it from people who used to pick on me," I admitted.

Henry's eyes seemed to burst with the insatiable hunger for knowledge that undoubtedly drove him to become a black belt. "You try to understand your opponents and use their techniques against them. The ability to adapt is the hallmark of a great fighter. There are a few slots still open. If you've taken karate before, you're qualified."

"Like Lita said, Logan gets shy in groups," noted Serena.

"But we're working on changing that. He's on his way to becoming a star!" exclaimed Mina, leading the other Scouts to sigh. "Your expo could be great practice for him!" she added, oblivious to their disapproval of her ditziness.

"What Logan's highly excitable girlfriend forgot to mention is he's only visiting. He's supposed to fly home in two days," said Raye.

"Well, if the weather doesn't work to our advantage, then maybe I can work something out with the airline so he can stay until the tournament. That's another week with your friends," Henry promised.

"Oh yes!" Mina beamed. "Say you'll do it, Logan!"

Henry must have noticed I still looked unsure as he eyed me. "This was supposed to be a surprise, but I have one more thing to show you: we have a special prize for the winner this year." Every mouth in the room dropped when Henry pulled a silver bracer out from under his gi. The bracer was exactly like mine, holding the unevenly cut dark shard, in brand new condition. I instinctively lowered my sleeve so that he couldn't see that I was wearing a similar one. "Beats another trophy, huh?" he asked, oblivious to the true value of the artifact he held.

"Where did you get that?!" Amy blurted out.

"An anonymous donor left it in front of my dojo. Beautiful, isn't it? Highly resilient, as well." He stuffed the bracer back under his uniform. _Guess I have to do the expo now. I could use a new bracer, anyway, _I thought. "How about it, Logan?" he asked.

"If you're scared about getting your butt kicked in public, I'll help you train for it, Logan," offered Lita.

"I have a moment to spar with you outside, if you like," Henry offered. I nodded in agreement: it was awesome that he was willing to put in the time to train me. "Lita, could you be our referee?" he asked.

"We'd better investigate this anonymous donor," I heard Luna whisper to Artemis. I saw them sprint towards the city as Henry and I stepped outside.

"I'd better check on my grandpa," said Raye as the others followed us into the cold.

"I'll go check on him. You deserve a break," said Darien. After he took off, the rest of the group split up into two groups and aligned themselves on opposite sides of the Temple grounds.

"We'll go a few rounds, make this a simple fight. Why don't you go over the competition rules for him, Lita?" Henry asked.

"The idea's to land as many soft blows on your opponent before time runs . When I say 'hajime', the fight starts. Get as close as you can without actually hitting your opponent and be careful what moves you use. Punches, kicks, knees and elbows will score you a point. You can use holds and throws to put your opponent in a vulnerable position, but you need to finish them off with a strike. When one of you earns a point, the referee will tell you to stop and call you back to the center. Repeat until the fight is over," explained Lita.

"You said your fighting style is heavily improvised, Logan, so you can use whatever moves you feel comfortable with this time. When given a choice between flashy and practical moves, I always prefer the practical ones anyway." Henry smirked. It seemed a bit odd for me to hear a master seemingly diss his own martial art at first, but I respected him for keeping an open mind.

"Go easy on him, his karate days were a long time ago!" teased Mina. She laughed when I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Just like he was rusty at cards, right?" quipped Serena. "Don't fall for Logan's "I'm new so go easy on me" act, Henry."

"I'd be doing him a disservice if I went TOO easy on him," joked Henry.

"Fighting stance!" I felt myself shaking a bit in nervous anticipation when Lita raised her arm in the air. I placed my left leg ahead, right foot further back with my foot at an angle, and my fists up. Henry's stance was very similar.

"Good form, tuck your chin down more to guard your throat," advised Henry. "We're ready, Lita," he said as I took his advice and tucked my chin down more.

"Hajime!" Lita lowered her arm in a forward motion and stepped back. I waited for Henry to make the first move. I ducked out of the way when he sent a low kick and two punches flying towards me, but I nearly lost my footing in the snow. When I tried to counter with my own punch, he grabbed my arm, flipped me over his shoulder, and punched near my stomach after I landed in the snow on my back. Some of the Sailor Scouts winced and groaned. "Break, break!" Lita wedged herself in between us with an arm, pushing Henry off. "Front and center! Henry, one point!" Lita raised her arm in Henry's direction. I was already panting after one round when I got back on my feet.

"Remember to breathe, Logan. And keep your chin tucked in so you won't hit your head if someone flips you on your back," advised Henry as we returned to our original stances.

"Fighting stance...hajime!" Henry quickly kneed me in the stomach, wrapped a leg around one of mine and dropped towards the ground, taking me into the snow with him. Lita called "break, break!" as he coiled a fist over me. "Front and center - Henry, one point!"

"He's giving you a run for your money, isn't he Logan?" teased Serena. _She's right: after fighting all those Shadows, I thought I'd hold out better against him. But he's a master_..._I guess I should feel lucky I lasted as long as I did._

"Masters wage a constant battle with their own pride. The moment we start thinking we are the best is the moment we stop being masters. Besides, I'm learning as much from our fight as he is," smiled Henry as we returned to position.

"Fighting stance...hajime!" Lita repeated. This time, I made the first move. He effortlessly jumped over my sweeping kick, then sidestepped a punch I threw at him. I retracted my arm so he couldn't grab me this time and managed a kick near his stomach."Front and center!" Lita called. She smiled as she said "Logan, one point!"

"Yay, Logan!" some of the girls cheered.

Henry nodded in approval. "You recognize the patterns in your opponent's fighting style quickly." I took that as a hint he was about to change things up.

"Fighting stance...hajime!" I ducked under one of his roundhouse kicks and quickly countered with an elbow strike. "Front and center! Logan, one point!" Lita and the others celebrated.

"Afraid that's all I have time for," lamented Henry. "I'm sure our tiebreaker will come some day. Bow to Lita," we turned and bowed to Lita, who returned our bow. "Bow to each other," Henry bowed to me and I repeated his gesture. "You fought well. The rest is a matter of learning the rules and building up your confidence. You have a solid foundation - you are easily qualified to take part."

"Thank you," I said. It felt good to receive praise from a black belt.

"That was a great fight! Very informative too! Wait...Raye, what's wrong? Do you have a headache or something?" I heard Serena ask from behind me. The moment I turned to her, I felt Henry grab my arm and pull up my sleeve to reveal my damaged bracer. The same ill feelings I sensed around Darien came flooding back...

"But the Sailor Scouts could have taught you so much more..." My arm grew hot as he rubbed his hand along the cracks near the dark shard. "Instead, they're holding back until they've fully brainwashed you into submission."

"How come I didn't sense he was a Shadow?!" Raye cringed through the same pain I was experiencing in his presence.

Only when I forced myself to look into the darkness and hunger swirling within his eyes that I realized I recognized this man...the memories weren't there yet...but I knew what he was now...

"Because he's not just any Shadow," I answered as I wrestled my arm away from him. Serena, Mina, Raye, Amy and Lita stood beside me. "He's my replacement. He's the Spymaster."

As the others gasped, dark energy began swirling around 'Henry'. The black shroud began taking the form of black robes adorned with silver crescent moons, lines and other strange markings. "It's a pity that you did not remember more about your past before we met. Our mission was to gather energy and pave the way for the new Silver Millennium, Charon. I did not order the Shadows to destroy you or the Sailor Scouts. In fact, you may have served a purpose in the new order. But you have taken the lives of several of my brothers. For your sins, you must be punished..."

**To Be Continued**


	18. Chapter 18: A Star Fades Away

**Chapter 18: A Star Fades Away**

"How could you be the Spymaster?" Serena asked. "You were so nice and helpful!"

"And kind of cute!" Lita added.

"You have the worst taste in guys ever, Lita!" shouted Raye.

The Spymaster smirked as my own robes finished materializing around me. "Are you surprised because I'm not the caricature of evil you were expecting, with glowing red eyes and pointed teeth?"

"Some of the other Shadows fit that description," said Serena.

"If you are more honorable than your mother, prove it Sailor Moon. Stand aside and let me face Charon one-on-one!"

"As if! You know that only the Sailor Scouts can destroy you permanently!" replied Serena.

"I realized that," he admitted. Two Shadows seemingly materialized out of thin air, holding Darien and a short, elderly man.

"Darien!" cried Serena.

"Grandpa!" cried Raye.

"As you see, I have two hostages. If the Sailor Scouts interfere in our battle, I will burn your temple to the ground and scatter their ashes on top," the Spymaster threatened. Raye's grandfather began throwing his arms around and chanting incoherently, challenging one of the Shadows to hold him still.

"He's delirious," I noted.

"Actually he's always like that," commented Serena, earning a hateful glare from Raye.

"There will be no restrictions for this fight, Charon! But stay within the Temple grounds!" he stared at the hostages. "Start us off, Lita!"

Lita grudgingly marched forward. "Fighting stance...hajime!"

I began with my signature move, teleporting behind the Spymaster to hit him with a dark energy strike up close, but he vanished by the time I reappeared. I felt his left arm wrap around my neck as he placed me in a sleeper hold. "Really, Charon? You thought you could sneak up behind me?" he taunted. I grabbed his arm, elbowed him, and flipped him over my shoulder. He quickly countered by frog kicking me and leaping back to his feet.

"You and Sailor Jupiter are both formidable hand-to-hand combatants, but like the others, you rely too heavily on magic," he noted as we slowly circled each other for an opening. "Since your bracer keeps you from fully tapping your powers, that is particularly unwise for you." I threw a cloud of magically-charged smoke in his direction, but he vanished seemingly into thin air. He teleported again, but I sensed him in time and elbowed him in the face before he could strike me. He moved back and smirked as he wiped blood from his nose. "You're still a decent opponent, but I honed my skills for years while you lost your touch!" He ducked when I threw a punch towards his jaw. "You squandered your time in classrooms! Behind computers!" He kneed me in the stomach. "Making friends!" he said with even more contempt as he struck me in the back with dark energy, sending me face-first into the snow.

He turned away from me to taunt the watching Sailor Scouts. "You won't even cheer for your friend?! Maybe if you spent more time training him and less time making goo-goo eyes when he wasn't looking, he would have a chance!" After stumbling, I managed to get back to my feet. "But you still don't trust him, do you?" I tackled him and swept under his leg to bring him to the ground. He raised his arms to block my punches as I had him in a dominant position. "That makes your blood boil, doesn't it Charon?" he mocked before he pushed against my throat and flipped me over. From under the quarters building, I saw Luna perched on the rooftop and two crows flying in circles overhead. I knew what I had to do...get the Spymaster right under her...

"Sailor Moon was right, you don't talk much," the Spymaster complained. I kicked him away, rose back to my feet, and summoned dark energy to my hand, but stood in place. The moment he teleported behind me, Luna pounced on his head and he thrashed around blindly. Seemingly on cue, the two crows descended on the Shadows holding Raye's grandpa and Darien. Darien took advantage of the confusion to drag Raye's grandfather away from the battle and towards safety.

"Thanks, Phobos and Deimos!" Raye called to the crows pecking at the Shadows' faces. I realized they were her pets.

"Deal with the Shadows first!" Artemis called to the women as he dashed from the bushes and leapt towards the Spymaster's leg, clawing and biting him while Luna attacked his face.

"Moon Cosmic Power!" Serena cried as she and the others transformed into the Sailor Scouts. I teleported behind one Shadow, struck him with dark energy, and threw a dagger-shaped dark energy projectile at the other Shadow.

"Moon Tiara Magic!" Sailor Moon shouted.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" followed Sailor Venus. The white energy disc and massive yellow heart struck both Shadows. As they disintegrated into moon dust, the Spymaster backed up and shoved Luna into a nearby tree at full force, then threw Artemis off of him.

"Luna! Artemis!" cried Sailor Mercury.

"I'm Sailor Moon! The champion of justice! I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you, Spymaster!" Sailor Moon posed.

The Spymaster's lip curled in amusement. " Charon gave a speech about justice and triumphing over evil when he was the Spymaster. But then, he was referring to you."

Sailor Mars held one of her anti-evil ward scrolls between her fingers. "The forces of evil shall not destroy our temple! I call upon the power of Mars to banish you from this place! Mars Fire Bird Strike!" She threw the scroll at him and a firebird streaked towards him. He sidestepped her attack.

"Mercury Bubbles...Blast!" shouted Sailor Mercury. I tried to take advantage of the distraction to sneak behind him.

"Your tactics are pathetic," he sneered and turned just as I was about to hit him in the back with a dark magic blast. He punched me in the stomach, lifted me over his head, and threw me to the floor.

"This won't work! We have to attack him at the same time!" urged Sailor Moon.

"You mean-" began Sailor Jupiter.

"Yes! Charon, keep him distracted and be ready!" requested Sailor Mercury as they began channeling energy around themselves. The Spymaster tried to make a rush for the Sailor Scouts but I tackled him and knocked him into a tree. I grabbed his head, kneed him in the stomach, and headbutted him in the nose.

"I'm only finishing what you started, Charon," whispered the Spymaster as I pinned him against the tree. He raised dark energy to his hand and went for my face, but I blocked his attack with my bracer. My fingers tingled as he tried to drain my energy, but a black rift similar to the one that destroyed the siphon took form over us. It grew larger and larger as it drew his power away.

"Sailor...Planet...Attack!" the Sailor Scouts screamed in unison. Multicolored streams of energy flew into the sky and combined to create a massive white ball of energy, then separated back into colored streak that flew towards the Spymaster. I kicked him away from me as the streaks swirled around with the rift, transforming into an even larger ball of charged energy. With a flick of the wrist, I sent it flying into the Spymaster, leaving a smoking crater in his wake. There was no way he had survived...

"We couldn't have beat him without you, Charon," complimented Mars as the Sailor Scouts stood by my side. I couldn't believe it. _We beat the Spymaster. We won. _There was just one other thing left on my mind...

"Is it true you all made goo-goo eyes at me when I wasn't looking?" I teased.

Raye blushed. "We were teasing Venus! Well...most of us were," she claimed. But as the smoke cleared, the Spymaster jumped out of the crater at lightning speed.

"Watch out!" I screamed. He swung a large silver chain with a weighted ball at the end in our direction. Sailor Jupiter and I jumped over it, but the chain struck the others below their knees, knocking them off balance. The Spymaster quickly swung again, this time towards our chests. I ducked under it, but the chain hit Jupiter in her upper chest and tripped her over. I faced the Spymaster alone.

"I warned you Charon: you left yourselves vulnerable in your moment of pride," he sneered. The weapon he wielded against us was shaped like the Kusari-gama, a trademark ninja weapon. The silver chain with the weight at one end was attached to a golden handle with a dark energy sickle at the other end. The weapon was larger and the chain was longer than any version of the weapon I had seen before. I dodged the weight when he threw it directly at me, and charged at him, but there was no dodging the sickle...

I still held a ball of dark energy over him with my right hand but the energy fizzled out as I felt the sickle tear into my abdomen and burn my insides. His eyes were cold and his face was expressionless as he looked at where he had struck me, as if he wanted me to see the reflection of blood staining my robes...my own blood... I stumbled and fell on my right leg when he pressed the sickle in further and tore across my right side.

"LOGAN!" A chill ran down my spine when Sailor Venus screamed my name. Her love chain struck the Spymaster and yanked him away from me. Sailor Venus struck him again with the chain and launched a flurry of punches at him before landing a karate chop to his neck. The Spymaster reacted to her last blow but threw Venus off with a dark energy blast. Just as the other Sailor Scouts charged the Spymaster, he teleported behind Sailor Mercury, spun her around, and threw her into Sailor Jupiter. Then he blasted Sailor Mars with dark energy as she was about to launch a fire-based attack. It was like he held back earlier to give us false hope that we could beat him so he could crush us later...

Only Sailor Moon stood between me and the Spymaster as he marched towards us with his Kusari-gama in hand. I tried to get up, but the pain unbearable. I could only watch as Sailor Moon spun her Moon Rod at a dizzying pace and cried out "Moon...Spiral...Heart...Attack!" As small pink hearts spiraled out of the heart and combined, the Spymaster surrounded himself in a ball of dark energy. He walked through the large pink heart that struck him unscathed. He knocked Sailor Moon's rod from her hand and slapped her across the face with the back of his hand, forcing her to the ground. The Spymaster hovered over me ominously, but just as he was about to deal the final blow, Sailor Moon threw herself on top of me.

"Get off him!" The Spymaster ordered as she embraced me on the ground.

"NO!" She screamed like a child being ripped away from her parents. "You'll have to kill me, too!"

"Rini..." I tried to remind her she had a future daughter and husband to care for, but she wouldn't let go.

"I could kill you both," threatened the Spymaster, "but you may have a role to play in the new kingdom, Princess Serenity. If you or any of your friends try to interfere with my plans again, I will make good on my promise. I will burn this place to the ground and destroy everyone you love." My vision grew blurry as he turned his back on us and started walking away...I wasn't even strong enough to lift my head any more...

"Stay with me, Logan. Don't close your eyes," pleaded Serena. I tried to stay awake, but her voice became an echo and grew weaker each time she cried my name. "_Logan?...Logan?...LOGAN!"..._

**IS THIS THE END?**

* * *

**A/N: **I didn't want to keep you all waiting for the next chapter! Will there be more? Well...after talking to a friend, I decided it was premature to end our story here. There is still so much I wanted to tell! Charon came VERY close to death...but it would be especially cruel to Sailor Venus :P

I wanted to leave some notes regarding the timeline: if you're just tuning in, the story takes place several years after the events of the anime (the Sailor Scouts are around college age). I saw few episodes of Super S and Sailor Stars, so I stuck with what I was most comfortable with. If you notice them using attacks from different seasons, some of it is intentional mixing and matching. For example, I prefer Sailor Moon's original uniform to her later ones, but I liked some of the attacks from later seasons, such as Venus Love and Beauty Shock. I may try to fully explain it later on in the story and change Sailor Moon's transformation scene in previous chapters to 'Moon Cosmic Power' for consistency.

Thanks for reading and again, please comment or send me a note! It would mean a lot to me to know if people want me to continue the story!


	19. Chapter 19: The Moon Palace

**Chapter 19: The Moon Palace**

I awoke to find my face pressed against a cold, flat surface instead of the soft snow. As my eyes slowly opened, I pushed myself off the floor only to realize that I did not feel any pain in my side. "Serena?" Only silence greeted me. I looked around frantically for the others, but all I saw was an array of white arches supported by columns and a glittering, polished floor beneath my feet. "Mina? Raye? Anyone!" I called out again for my friends, hoping someone would answer. The stars seemed closer than ever in the night sky; it was a simultaneously gorgeous and horrifying sight. I started running towards the balcony in the distance, but abruptly stopped when I saw the Earth's surface creeping over the horizon. I could not believe I had somehow wound up on the Moon all by myself. _What if I'm stuck here forever?_

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard a pair of heels click on the ground towards me. Normally, the sound of someone coming up behind me evoked a primitive defensive instinct in me, but this time I was just relieved that I wasn't here alone. I thought the woman approaching me was Serena when I saw her odango hairstyle, but I quickly realized it couldn't be her. As she emerged from the shadows, I could also see that her hair was silver instead of blonde and she carried herself with far more grace. Her steps seemed deliberate and perfectly timed. As she approached, I saw that she wore a white dress and had a gold crescent moon symbol on her forehead, like Luna and Artemis, except hers was worn as part of her crown. But it was only when I looked into her eyes - the same piercing blue eyes she shared with Serena - that I finally remembered who she was. And bowed.

"Queen Serenity!" I nearly gagged on the words.

"You never had to bow to me, Charon." I saw she was smiling when I stood up straight, though still at attention. "I hoped that one day, you would be able to call the Moon Palace your home. And I hoped that you and Princess Serenity would become friends."

She exuded a wisdom and kindness with her presence that made me wonder how anyone could ever believe she was a tyrant. "You must have hated me to wish I'd have to live with her," I joked.

Queen Serenity laughed. "I thought of you as a son, so I suppose it would be fitting if you treated her like a sister."

I finally put myself at ease. Like a long-lost mother, there was so much I wanted to tell her, especially about the last three days. But the warmth quickly faded when I remembered that Queen Serenity had died over a thousand years ago. Unable to put the words more eloquently, I bluntly asked, "am I dead?" Queen Serenity shook her head just as I heard a familiar voice...

_"Why isn't this working?!" _I rushed to the railing when I heard Sailor Moon scream in the distance, but her voice echoed like when I saw myself saving her in the forest. _"Please wake up, Sailor Mercury! Please help me save Logan!" _she screamed again.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Queen Serenity. I feared that I was hallucinating again, or had simply forgotten my final moments. But before she could answer, the Spymaster vaporized in a cloud of black smoke across from us...

"Serenity could have told her daughter about you, Charon. She didn't want to." I tried to channel dark energy, but I know longer felt its power inside of me.

"That's another limitation of the bracer. You couldn't use your powers within the Moon Palace grounds," the Spymaster sneered. He lifted his arm to show the dark shard fragments in his arm to Queen Serenity. "I do not have the same limitation, _milady,_" he sneered. He pulled out his Kusari-gama.

In response, Queen Serenity raised a pink rod with a gold crescent moon at the end. "You lectured Charon about pride, but you were arrogant to come here thinking I could not defend myself." She pushed me out of the way when the Spymaster swung his chain around himself and thrust the sickle towards Queen Serenity. She blocked the sickle with her stick and pushed him into a nearby pillar.

_"Why aren't we calling an ambulance?!" _I faintly heard Sailor Mars' voice now.

_"They wouldn't be able to help us! I've never seen a wound like this before! Maybe Charon's computer can tell us why we can't heal him!" _Sailor Mercury yelled back.

"Serenity was ashamed to depend on users of dark magic despite the vaunted power of the Silver Crystal, Charon!" Shaken back to the fight, I watched the Spymaster jumped from the pillar and threw the weighted end at Queen Serenity, but she avoided his strike. "Like the other Shadows, she used you to do her dirty work so that she and her pretentious Sailor Soldiers could maintain their image of purity!"

"Your mission required the highest level of secrecy, Charon! I was protecting you!" argued Queen Serenity as she channeled a beam of energy from her wand. The Spymaster teleported away from the attack. Without my powers, all I could do was watch.

"You claim you were protecting him. Did you remind him why he tried to overthrow you?" asked the Spymaster. He disappeared again to avoid a direct hit from Serenity's rod. Even in battle, the Spymaster maintained an eerie calm. "Heed my warning, Charon: Sailor Moon will betray you. She will carry out her mother's plan. Everyone you fought so hard to protect will turn their backs on you."

"What's he talking about, Queen Serenity?" I asked. I still didn't believe I ever could have betrayed her or the Sailor Scouts. She turned to answer me, but the Spymaster threw a dark energy knife at Queen Serenity. Using her rod, she created a translucent sphere around both of us to block his attack.

_"What happened, Serena? Is Logan..." _This time, I heard Sailor Mini Moon's voice.

_" We're trying to save him, Rini..." _I heard Sailor Moon beginning to sob.

"I'm sorry we didn't have more time, Charon," Queen Serenity apologized. "Don't let him manipulate you again. Please, keep your faith in your friends. Find and protect Sailor Saturn."

"Yes, Charon. Ask them about Saturn and her power to destroy entire worlds," the Spymaster shouted from outside Queen Serenity's dome.

_"He stopped breathing!" _cried Sailor Mercury.

"Hopefully I will see you again, Charon, and the truth will become clear..." Queen Serenity raised her wand towards me. I saw a round silver crystal form and begin to glow as she placed another hand on my damaged bracer. The Moon Kingdom faded into pitch black, the air grew colder, the Earth beneath me grew softer, and I felt the pain in my right side growing back. Finally, I forcibly inhaled the brisk winter air.

"Logan! He's alive!" Sailor Mercury's voice rang in my ear this time. I felt her push me gently back down towards the ground with one hand. I started coughing and thrust my eyes open. Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus were kneeling over me. As my vision came into focus, I saw Sailor Moon stand over me and sigh in relief. I felt Venus holding my hand; it made the resurging pain a bit easier to manage. I noticed Sailor Moon's cheek was red from where the Spymaster had hit her. "The Spymaster gave you a mark, too," I spoke.

Sailor Moon rubbed her cheek and smiled. "This will clear up soon. Yours will take longer," she teased.

"My lips feel wet," I noted. Sailor Moon, Venus and Mercury looked very embarrassed.

"You stopped breathing," answered Sailor Venus. "We had to give you...you know..."

"Really? Who?" I teased despite the cold air stinging my throat.

"You almost die and that's the first thing you think about?! Typical male," Sailor Mars' voice teased me from out of sight. "Still, I'm glad you're OK."

"Yeah, we thought we just lost you," I heard Sailor Jupiter.

"The blade left some kind of negative energy that kept us from healing you," explained Sailor Moon.

"Fortunately, your computer was able to help," said Sailor Mercury.

"I could have helped you out sooner, if a certain someone hadn't muted me," my computer's voice taunted.

"Fine, you were helpful this time!" Sailor Mars grudgingly acknowledged.

"Now we can get you to the hospital," smiled Sailor Venus before her eyes turned to Sailor Mercury then darted down at my arm. "Wait, look at Logan's bracer!"

Sailor Mercury lifted it up. "All the damage is gone! It looks brand new!"

"How did that happen? It's not like the Spymaster would switch it out when we weren't looking!" Sailor Moon commented. I remembered Queen Serenity touching my arm. So it wasn't a dream...that meant...

" Sailor Saturn," I muttered.

The Scouts looked stunned. "Hotaru?" said Mini Moon.

"Where did you hear her name?" asked Sailor Mars.

"The Spymaster...thinks she can destroy worlds..." I warned them.

"He didn't say anything about Sailor Saturn. How do you know this?" asked Sailor Jupiter.

"Queen Serenity told me," I answered. Sailor Venus and Mercury abruptly sat up.

Sailor Moon crossed her arms and looked at the ground. "He said he'd leave us alone if we didn't interfere..." Her voice trailed off.

"Maybe he came here to distract us while he sent his Shadows after her. I'll contact Uranus and Neptune." Sailor Jupiter opened her communicator and stepped away.

"You spoke to Queen Serenity?" asked Luna. I watched her and Artemis walk towards me slower than normal. They were still recovering from their battle.

"Yeah, I was hoping she'd have some stories about you guys, give me some dirt, but there wasn't time," I answered. Luna grimaced; she clearly didn't appreciate my sense of humor.

"They're not responding. Maybe they went into hiding. We need to look into this ourselves," Sailor Jupiter called out.

"You'll need me..." I started trying to lift myself up, but I barely lifted myself an inch off the ground before I crashed back down clutching my side. Venus and Mercury each put a hand on my shoulder.

"You need to go to the hospital, Logan," asserted Sailor Mercury.

"We'll find Sailor Saturn and take her somewhere safe. We'll avoid fighting," said Sailor Venus.

"Not if they strike first..." I groaned.

Sailor Moon kneeled next to Sailor Mercury and touched my bracer, causing my robes to dissipate. "We'll come back, Logan I promise," Serena assured me. "Stay with him, Rini."

"But Hotaru's my friend!" cried Sailor Mini Moon.

Venus placed a reassuring hand on Rini's shoulder. "I know, but someone has to stay with Logan. We'll call the paramedics to take you two to the hospital. And we'll keep in touch." The Sailor Scouts and Guardian Cats took off, leaving me with a pouting Rini.

"You can go with them, I'll be OK," I offered.

Rini stopped pouting and shook her head. "No, they're right. Besides, Hotaru won't remember me," I lifted my head waiting for an explanation, but Rini smirked and changed the subject. "You know, if you're looking for stories about the others, I've got plenty. For a price..."

Whatever she meant when she said Sailor Saturn wouldn't remember her, I took it as a sign she didn't want to talk about it. I jokingly reached into my pocket and pulled out an American ten dollar bill. "What would ten bucks get me?"

Rini's eyes lit up. "I could tell you that during breakfast yesterday, Serena and Mina asked Luna if they could change your uniform to a tight-fitting suit."

"Tight-fitting, you said?" I asked.

"Yeah, Mina said you might benefit from the extra flexibility. Serena said that she stands for justice and there's nothing more unjust than letting a figure like yours go unseen."

I could picture Luna and Artemis shaking their heads thinking _those girls aren't in junior high any more. _Ten bucks suddenly looked like a bargain. I held the bill out further and said, "you have a deal..."

**To Be Continued**

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**A/N: **Thanks for reading my latest chapter! I was growing a little discouraged and strongly considered ending the story with the previous chapter, but there's still a lot to tell! I've heard other fans wishing that Queen Serenity and Sailor Saturn had been present more in the anime. I hope that I can do their characters justice! Reviews, favorites and messages are highly welcomed and greatly appreciated - let me know how I'm doing!


	20. Chapter 20: Partners In Crime

**Chapter 20: Partners In Crime**

"If you have more stories like that, $10 each is a bargain, Rini. I've never been called a 'hunkmeister' before," I said to her. I still lay in the snow while Rini kneeled over me as we waited for the medics to take us to the hospital.

"There's plenty more where that came from! Most of them are pretty boy crazy!" declared Rini.

"Even Mina?" I asked. Rini hadn't been there when Mina swung her arm around mine and declared we were a couple.

Rini laughed. "She goes after someone new every week! She even tried to date two guys at the same time!"

"SHE DID WHAT?!" I sat up and shouted.

Rini leaned back in shock before she put two and two together. "Oh no, you're the guy Mina likes now! And you like her too! I didn't mean she'll get bored and go after someone else! Please don't tell her I told you, she'll hate me!" Rini begged.

"I'm sure it's a harmless, funny story." I tried to give Rini some slack, but inside, my blood was boiling...

"Oh yeah! We laugh about it all the time!" Rini laughed nervously.

"Will you tell me?" I asked.

Rini abruptly stopped laughing. "No!" she blurted out. "I mean, shouldn't that ambulance be here by now?"

Conveniently, I heard footsteps coming up the temple stairs. Rini smiled when three paramedics wearing light blue jackets and dark blue pants ascended carrying a stretcher. They were followed by two members of the Tokyo police wearing dark blue uniforms. But I knew something was wrong when one of the medics hovering over me immediately pulled out a syringe and the cops took each side of Rini.

"We're here to take you to Jubaan General Hospital." The paramedic spoke blankly with no facial expression. "We'll sedate you so you can rest comfortably on the way there."

I grabbed the medic's arm before he could inject me. "You're not even going to look at my wound first?" I asked.

Rini was grabbed by the cops as she tried to run away. The other medics turned their attention to her. "Maybe we should sedate the girl first," one of them suggested.

"Waaaah! I hate needles!" Rini cried.

"Then tell us where your friend Hotaru is before we stick you too!" threatened the cop.

"They're with the Shadows!" I shouted to Rini. I bridged my body up so the medic pinning down would put his hands on the ground. Then I grabbed the arm holding the syringe so he couldn't try to stick me with it, stepped over his foot, and turned him over.

With the cops distracted, Rini was able to wrestle herself away from her captors and shout "Moon Prism Power!" All five agents of the Shadows turned their attention to me as Rini transformed into Sailor Mini Moon. My own transformation didn't buy me nearly as much time: one of them already held me in a bear hug when Mini Moon's gold tiara, pink collar, and hair pieces finished forming. Another attacker landed a punch close to my wound before I could kick him away and push back the medic holding me. I didn't want to risk severely injuring them with my powers since they weren't Shadows, but fatigue and pain made fighting them hand-to-hand difficult for me.

Thankfully, Mini Moon jumped to my aid when she finished transforming. "Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" Not only did her wand work, she managed to hit two attackers at once. As they yelped in pain, I managed to flip one of the cops over and elbow the other one in the face. But I struggled to take down the last attacker: my sleeper hold turned into a smother and he nearly threw me off him as I struggled to stay on top. Eventually, he crumpled to his knees and I let him go so I could lean up against a tree. Mini Moon's eyes watched us both fall to the ground exhausted...he eventually passed out.

"We're lucky they weren't Shadows," she said as she clutched her Pink Moon Stick.

"Yeah, but I wonder why they were working for them. It doesn't seem like the Spymaster to start controlling people after he kept going on about how you guys are manipulating me. And what about our truce?" I wondered. I thought he was more honorable.

Sailor Mini Moon looked cross. "He'll say anything to get you on his side! This proves he's a liar!"

"I won't betray you or the others," I promised. "It's just...they still don't trust me."

Mini Moon's face softened. "I know how you feel. They don't tell me everything either because they still think I'm a little brat. I'm trying to change. That starts by getting you to the hospital!"

I remembered that they hadn't told Rini about my bracer's true purpose and I was there when they agreed not to tell her that Serena failed college. I felt caught between Mini Moon and my other friends now. But I turned my attention back to our current situation. " You'd better tell Serena what just happened. We know they're after Sailor Saturn for sure now."

Sailor Mini Moon looked down at her communicator. "Serena, are you there? Can anyone hear me? Serena!" She turned her attention to me. "I can't get a hold of them! What do we do?" asked Rini.

"We need to find the others. We'll be safer if we're all together, anyway," I decided.

The muscles in her face tightened as she struggled over having to decide what to do. "I know where they would have started looking. But I promised them I'd make sure you got to the hospital!" argued Rini.

"You promised you'd stay with me," I reminded her. "And I'm going to find them. I could use something for the pain though."

"I can check back inside, but I don't know what to look for," she admitted as she watched me clutch my side.

"See what you can find, then we'll ask Sailor Mercury when we find her," I said. I watched Sailor Mini Moon go back inside the Cherry Hill Temple, then eyed each of the unconscious pawns like a hawk. Some of them were already beginning to stir. _Please hurry up Rini, _I thought to myself...

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts arrived at the beautiful red brick house that the Outer Senshi called home. Amara's sleek black car was parked outside and the door was open, but they found no sign that anyone was home.

"The food on the table was prepared recently. It looks like they left in a hurry," Sailor Mercury noted from the kitchen.

"Amara! Michelle!" Sailor Jupiter shouted halfway up the stairs.

"Hotaru! Trista!" Sailor Venus called their names as she peeked into Hotaru's room. It was massive, but Venus saw no sign of any personal possessions such as books, playthings, or even clothes.

Sailor Mars rolled her eyes when she saw Sailor Moon peeking under a couch. "Serena, they're not hiding under the couch! Stop being lazy and try actually helping!" chastised Sailor Mars.

"Hey! They could be hiding under the floor boards! Maybe they have a secret room or a hidden passage!" Sailor Moon shouted. As she spoke to Sailor Mars, her eyes widened and she touched her neck. "I just realized: I never put the locket that Logan gave me back on!"

"You fought the Spymaster without your locket?! Serena!" Sailor Mars walked over to her and removed the pin that Logan had given each of the Sailor Scouts. "Here, you can borrow mine. Just don't take it off, OK?"

"Thanks Raye. I'm going to make sure Logan and Rini got to the hospital OK." She flipped open her communicator. "Rini, did the ambulance get there yet? Rini?" Serena raised an eyebrow as she pressed another button. "Logan, can you hear me?" She was greeted only by static on the other end. "Guys, can you try to contact Logan or Rini? My communicator doesn't seem to be working."

Sailor Mars and Jupiter opened their communicators and shook their heads.

Sailor Venus emerged from the top of the stairs. "I can't contact them either. Maybe there's something wrong with their communicators?"

Sailor Mercury emerged from the kitchen. "It's not just their communicators. I lost my uplink to Logan's computer, as well. I fear that the Shadows may have found a way to jam our communications."

Sailor Mars looked down at the floor and grabbed her forehead, wincing in pain as if she were having a migraine. "The Shadows are here. They're getting closer."

"Where are Luna and Artemis?" asked Sailor Venus.

"Out back. Let's get them and get out of here," recommended Sailor Jupiter. But as they turned towards the front door, two Shadows vaporized in front of them. The Scouts tried to make a run for the back, but two more Shadows appeared.

"You're looking for the girl, too," one of them snarled. Like Charon, they all tilted their hoods downwards so that the Sailor Scouts couldn't see their eyes.

The Scouts stood in a circle and looked around for an opening. They were completely encircled. "Your Spymaster said we had a truce," challenged Sailor Moon. The Shadows responded with jeers and snickers. The Scouts didn't need to look into the Shadows' eyes to see their contempt and hatred of Silver Millennium royalty.

"Looks like he's the one who can't keep his word," said Sailor Mars.

One of the Shadows stepped forward. "His word is the only reason we're giving you a chance to walk out of here alive, Princess," he cautioned.

"But we wouldn't mind if you attacked us first. Give us an excuse to pound some modesty into you overindulged brats," threatened the second Shadow.

"So consider your next words carefully," warned the third. "Your lapdog isn't here to nip at our heels, Princess."

"Guess again," called a voice from the shadows. A dark energy projectile flew past a Shadow's head and impacted the wall behind him. A fifth Shadow emerged from the darkness and stood beside the Sailor Scouts.

"I am Charon!" announced the fifth Shadow. "You call me 'traitor' and 'turncoat', but you have betrayed everything that Silver Millennium stood for! We were supposed to guide the people of Earth towards a brighter future. But you intend to build a twisted imitation of the old Kingdom atop the frozen wastelands of civilization!"

"Turncoat! How could you have recovered so quickly?!" the Shadow that had been attacked asked in disbelief.

"The disguising pen worked great," whispered Sailor Venus. 'Charon' was actually Tuxedo Mask in disguise.

"Yeah, but how does Charon see anything in front of him wearing his hood down like this?"Tuxedo Mask complained quietly.

"Hush, you two!"whispered Sailor Moon. She turned back to the two Shadows in front of her and posed. "I'll make you the same offer. Leave now, or in the name of the moon - "

"We'll punish you!" the Sailor Scouts declared together.

"How dare you mock us, parasites! We are the true defenders of Silver Millennium!" screamed one of the Shadows.

But one of the Shadows saw through their charade. A grim smile of rotting teeth appeared on one of the Shadow's faces. "He's not the traitor. This guy talks too much. Why don't you show us your face, Turncoat?" taunted one of the Shadows.

"Um...because I'm dark, brooding and extra mysterious?" Tuxedo Mask's voice shook. Sailor Moon awkwardly held her pose as if she had a sudden case of stage fright.

The Shadow that had been attacked went to inspect the 'dark magic' projectile thrown at him. "This is just a black rose with a purple stem!" The other Shadow returned holding the proof in his hand. The Sailor Scouts looked around nervously. The four Shadows had them boxed in with all possible escape routes covered.

"Nice try, Sailor Moon," the lead Shadow mocked. "I see you won't give us any information you have on Sailor Saturn willingly. We'll just have to talk to the Spymaster about amending the details of our truce later..."

**To Be Continued**

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading my chapter, and special thanks to those who have given me reviews, favorites and followed my story! Your support has rekindled my interest in writing!

Rini/Chibiusa was going to have a bigger role early in the story, but I got different ideas as I started writing it and I didn't want to just have her in the story for the sake of having her in the story. I know that a lot of anime fans didn't like Rini because she could be a huge brat. Since she's a little older in this story, I wanted her to be a bit more mature while still being recognizable as a character. Her growing friendship with Logan is something that I hadn't planned on until I started writing this chapter, but it came naturally to me as I wrote it. Hopefully you'll agree!


	21. Chapter 21: At the End of His Rope

**Chapter 21: At the End of His Rope**

**Meanwhile...**

"I'm sorry Logan. Their house is farther than I remembered. I'm sure we're almost there," apologized Sailor Mini Moon after a long trek through the bitter cold from Cherry Hill Temple. The snow was coming down more heavily and was beginning to accumulate on the ground.

"I thought we would have at least found a bus. But I'm fine," I assured her as I kept clutching my side. The pain was greater than before. I felt as if the Spymaster had thrust his dark energy sickle and pierced my side again.

"You can lean on me if you have too," she offered.

I stopped in my tracks when I sensed something coming towards us. "Someone's coming," I warned her.

"Shadows?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. If they are, run."

"I said I'd stay with you," Sailor Mini Moon insisted.

"I mean it, Rini!" I said more firmly as I sensed the figures coming closer.

"You can't tell me what to do, Logan!" she insisted. _She's as stubborn as her mother, _I thought. Two figures were running towards us, but they were way too small to be Shadows. We were relieved to see they were Luna and Artemis.

"Charon! Sailor Mini Moon! You're supposed to be at the hospital!" yelled Artemis.

"We were on our way there! Why are you two wandering around in the snow?" yelled Luna.

"The Shadows were controlling the people who were supposed to help us, Luna! One of them asked me about Hotaru," explained Sailor Mini Moon. "Then we couldn't get in touch with any of you!"

Luna and Artemis cast worried glanced towards each other. "We shouldn't have trusted the Spymaster would keep his word when he learned about Sailor Saturn," admitted Artemis. "His Shadows appeared while the others were searching the house."

"You were right, Rini. He is a liar," I said to her.

"I loaned them the disguising pen just in case. Tuxedo Mask is disguised as Charon. They might be able to talk their way out of this," said Luna.

"Can one of you get inside?" I asked.

"I'll have a look," offered Luna. Sailor Mini Moon rushed to my side and helped me down when she saw me trying to sit down beside the parked car.

"What if their plan doesn't work?" she asked.

"Then we rescue them, silly," I smiled. But Mini Moon frowned and her brow furrowed.

"I hope it doesn't come to that. We barely got through our last fight," she reminded me.

"You mean I barely got through the last fight. You did fine," I told her. She looked down at the ground.

"Rini's right. You don't look well, Logan," said Artemis.

"I know. We'll come up with a plan," I assured them. But their wrinkled eyebrows showed me they were both unconvinced.

We looked towards the house for Luna to return. "My grandma...Queen Serenity...what was she liked?" Mini Moon broke the silence.

The pain faded away for a second as I recalled meeting Serena's mother. "She was kind, beautiful, graceful, and she had an air of wisdom about her. She was everything I wished my own mother was like," I answered. I didn't tell Rini or Artemis that I sensed Queen Serenity was also hiding something from me.

"You never mentioned your family before," noted Mini Moon.

I chuckled. "If you want to hear more about my family, it'll cost you."

Luna ran out from behind the house. "The Shadows saw through their deception. They haven't attacked yet, but the Scouts are completely surrounded!"

"How many Shadows are there?" I asked.

"At least four," answered Luna. "You're not seriously thinking about fighting them in your condition!"

"I won't charge through the front door," I answered. I looked up at Sailor Mini Moon. "You could lure them outside. I'll have the element of surprise."

"Are you sure about this?" asked Mini Moon. Her eyes pleaded with me to say no, and when I nodded she looked down. But she came over to lift me when I struggled to stand up. Either she believed I was right, or she accepted that I was going to do something anyway.

"We can leave and come up with a new plan," suggested Artemis.

"You can't guarantee we'll be able to find them again, or that the Shadows won't torture them," I said.

Luna straightened her back and glared at me. "It'll be nothing compared to how they'll torture you if this plan fails! You can barely stand, Logan! This is crazy!" she chastised.

"If you know any other Shadows willing to help us, I'll stand down," I snapped back. Sailor Mini Moon let me lean on her until we reached the house, then I teleported to the roof above the door. At least I didn't have to climb up, but I realized that using my powers required a lot more focus with my pain distracting me.

Sailor Mini Moon banged on the door. "IS ANYONE HOME?! There are people chasing us! My friend passed out! Please help!" she begged.

"Mini Moon, run!" I heard Sailor Moon shout from inside.

Mini Moon dashed around the corner as the door slid open. A Shadow ran out directly under me. I slid off the roof and landed on top of him. The shock from the fall sent painful shudders throughout my body, but I struck him with dark magic up close.

I heard another Shadow open the adjacent door, but my body just wouldn't move quickly enough...

I turned just in time to watch the Shadow's boot fly into my head and send me face-first into the snow. "Here's the real traitor!" he declared. My head pounded and my vision was blurry when I forced my eyes open. "I see you barely have any fight left in you," he taunted as he lifted me off the ground by dragging me up by the collar.

"Charon!" screamed Sailor Mini Moon.

Although it took considerable effort, I channeled dark magic to my hands and placed them on the Shadow's arm. He screamed in pain as dark energy burned through his robes. He dropped me on the ground and left me lying on my back.

"Call him off!" I heard one of the Scouts shout to one of the other Shadows. I was so disoriented I couldn't even tell who it was.

"Stop!" Sailor Mini Moon screamed as the injured Shadow raised dark magic to his hands and marched forward to strike me in retaliation. Mini Moon was pointing her Pink Moon Stick at the Shadow I had subdued. "Let the others go, or we'll finish them off!" she threatened.

"The traitor's weak! Now's our chance to end his meddling!" cried the wounded Shadow.

"Not without permission from the Spymaster. We still have orders not to hurt them too much. And they've taken enough lives already," the first Shadow conceded. "You parasites are wasting your time. Sailor Saturn is the last wrinkle in our plan, and we will find her. Hard to believe you would cling so desperately to power that you would rather destroy this world than give it up," he sneered at Sailor Moon.

"Whatever the Spymaster told you about us is a lie, just like his so-called truce!" challenged Sailor Moon.

"I bet the Shadows had a much better dental plan under Queen Serenity, too! You don't have to be a princess to afford toothpaste, you know!" teased Sailor Venus.

"You are the ones who have the history of lying. But we will leave you be for now," said the first Shadow. "The Spymaster will hear that you interfered with our operation."

Sailor Mini Moon reached under my arm and helped lift me off the Shadow I had subdued. The Shadows disappeared as she helped carry me inside towards the others. I knew we had gotten lucky that the Shadows had backed down.

"Why aren't you in the hospital?!" asked Sailor Venus.

"The Shadows were controlling the people who were supposed to help us!" explained Mini Moon. Sailor Jupiter ran over to help her carry me inside and lay me against the wall. "He's in a lot of pain! I didn't know what to give him!"

Mini Moon pulled out several medicine bottles she had found at the Temple as I slid to the floor. I was so dizzy I felt like I had been spinning around for hours. Sailor Venus went further inside and Sailor Mercury stepped forward to examine the bottles. Sailor Mercury opened one and poured two pills into her hand. Sailor Venus came back with a glass of water for me as Sailor Mercury handed the pills to me. "Take these," ordered Sailor Mercury. "My mom's a doctor. We'll take you straight to her." I muttered a thank you to Amy.

Sailor Moon crossed her arms and glared at Mini Moon. "You still should have taken him to the hospital, Rini! He almost died an hour ago!"

"I insisted on coming here, Serena," I said to take the blame off Rini. Sailor Moon shifted her gaze to me.

"When did you become so stubborn, Logan?" Sailor Moon asked.

"When he started hanging out with you," answered Sailor Mars. Sailor Moon stuck her tongue out at Raye.

"We agreed we'd all be safer together! Besides, you're lucky we got here when we did!" said Mini Moon.

"PSSST!" We were surprised to see a pair of unique purple eyes belonging to a young child peeking through a trap door in the floor. "We're playing hide and seek! Are you guys playing?"

"What was that you said earlier, Raye? That I was being lazy searching for hidden rooms?" Sailor Moon asked smugly.

"You are lazy, Serena!" Sailor Mars snapped back.

The girl lifted the hidden door and jumped out. She looked like she was a few years younger than Rini, maybe 7 or 8 years old. She was a cute little girl, dressed in a light purple top with a red miniskirt and white stockings. Her black hair seemed to have a purple hue.

"Hotaru," Rini said longingly. Even though I could sense Hotaru's power, I still could not believe such a sweet, innocent-looking girl was the vaunted destroyer of planets that the Spymaster was after. "You probably don't remember me, but my name's Rini, and these are my - why are you laughing?" she asked as the girl started giggling.

"Your name will be easy to remember. It rhymes with 'teeny'," answered Hotaru.

"Hotaru, you're not here all by yourself, are you?" asked Sailor Jupiter.

"Of course not," a woman's voice answered from under the trap door. Hotaru's caretaker had long dark green hair and wore a sleek red business suit. She was beautiful, like the others, and tied with Lita for the tallest of the Sailor Scouts. She appeared older than Sailor Moon and the others, closer in age to me and Darien. Her red eyes brightened when she saw Sailor Mini Moon. "I'm glad to see you're alright, Small Lady."

"Are you a Scout too?" I asked the woman. The warmth in her eyes seemed to evaporate, replaced by an icy stare that gave me chills. I immediately regretted talking to her.

"Trista, it's OK! I trust him!" said Sailor Mini Moon. Knowing at least one of the Sailor Scouts finally trusted me made me feel a little warmer.

"His future is a clouded one. And she's been aging quicker every day. That only means one thing," said Trista. I wasn't exactly sure what she meant...

"Are you a ninja?" Hotaru had quietly made her way through the others during our conversation and stood near me and Rini. "That's a cool costume!"

"Thanks," I smiled at her.

"I'm wearing the same thing," said Darien.

"Yeah, but his looks more convincing!" she declared. I got a bad feeling when she noticed the blood stains on my robes where I had been stabbed. "That's not part of your costume, is it? You're really hurt."

"Hotaru! Don't touch him!" shouted Trista as Hotaru reached towards my wound...

**To Be Continued**

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed my latest chapter! It may take me a bit longer to think about the continuation: this one turned out very differently from what I originally planned, though a lot of the dialogue carried over between ideas. And special thanks to Redwings019, Lisseas, LoveInTheBattlefield, and X-Ranger1 for following my story! Know that all your reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated!


	22. Chapter 22: What's In A Name

**Chapter 22: What's In A Name**

When Hotaru held her hand over my injured side and purple light began shining from my wound, I instinctively began crawling back, but my initial fear turned to amazement as I felt the lingering pain subsiding. As I realized she was healing me, I became confused...

I turned to Sailor Mini Moon and asked, "I thought she was..." I stopped short of saying Sailor Saturn.

"She is, Logan. She healed my leg when I first met her," Mini Moon whispered. Everyone else watched on in amazement. However, I could see that Hotaru was getting tired and glanced over at Sailor Moon. She walked over and placed both hands on Hotaru's shoulders.

"He'll be OK. Thank you, Hotaru," she said. I still felt speechless. The painkillers that Sailor Mercury gave me helped, but I felt a lot better as I stood.

"I'm sorry. You looked really hurt," Hotaru sadly apologized as she leaned against the wall opposite of me. Rini went over to her.

"Don't be sorry. You helped me," I said.

"I thought you'd be scared because I have strange powers. I healed a boy who skinned his knee in the park. He ran away screaming and calling me a witch," she said.

"Maybe he didn't know that you were trying to help him," I tried to explain. In trying to help her understand her situation, I compared it to my own: "When other people don't have the power that you have, they might get scared because they can't control how you use it. Even if you use it to help them, I think the fear that you'll misuse it stays in their minds. Then instead of judging you for who you are, they judge you as the person they fear you'll become. And you start thinking that no matter what you do, they'll hate you for it, and you'll wish you never did anything for them in the first place."

Hotaru's eyes were half-open, but she was still listening. The room was dead silent, as if the Sailor Scouts realized I was talking to them as much as I was talking to Hotaru. I continued: "But what you do has a way of coming back to you, even if it's not the way you expect. Maybe the boy you helped was scared then, but later he might find someone else in pain and he'll help them because you helped him. Or maybe someone else saw what you did and was moved by it, even if he was not. And even if nobody remembers what you did, maybe next time people will notice. People should say thanks when others help them, but if we have the best intentions for what we do, then we know getting thanked isn't the most important thing. It's knowing that somehow, we're making a difference."

By the time I finished, Hotaru had fallen asleep but nobody made a sound. I got the feeling that someone wanted to say something, but nobody really knew what to say. Finally, Luna broke the silence: "Logan, what do you know about your name?"

Not expecting that question, I answered, "I think my mother named me, my father wanted to call me Seamus - "

"I meant Charon," Luna awkwardly interrupted.

"I think I've heard it before," I answered hesitantly.

"Charon is the largest natural satellite of Pluto," explained Sailor Mercury.

"So I'm named after a piece of rock orbiting an ex-planet at the edge of the solar system," I muttered. Sailor Mini Moon's head reared back and she made a nervous smile.

"Ex-planet?!" Trista finally spoke to me directly. "You think that a group of astronomers can just change the definition of a planet on a whim?!"

"So you're Sailor Pluto," I presumed. Now everyone except for me and Sailor Pluto looked as nervous as Mini Moon.

"I never said that," Trista answered with a chilling voice. Judging by everyone's reaction, I figured she was Sailor Pluto. But I wanted to be sure...

"Well, I feel sorry for whoever got stuck with that useless lump of ice and rock. Did she draw the short straw when you all chose planets?" I teased.

All of the Sailor Scouts' mouths dropped simultaneously and their eyes opened like windows, with some of them emitting screaming noises...except for Sailor Pluto, whose eyes narrowed instead as she grit her teeth and clenched her fists. She held her arms at her sides as if she were pretending she was in a straitjacket to stop her from doing something scary.

Their reactions confirmed that she was Sailor Pluto, but Artemis still tried to hint it to me in case I missed it. "Logan...if Sailor Pluto was here, I'd say "please don't get on her bad side"..."

"And I'd say that you're socially awkward and often say things you don't mean!" Luna blurted out. The others nodded and talked over each other in agreement:

"Yeah!"

"All the time!"

"I think he called Serena a genius once!"

"Hey!" It was definitely Sailor Moon who said that.

"He took a kick to his head! It must have done more damage than we thought! He's usually very respectful!" said Sailor Mercury.

"I thought Saturn was the one who we had to worry about destroying the universe. I bet she knows how to take a joke," I said.

"But you meant what you said to Hotaru?" Trista finally softened up a bit and asked. When I nodded, she said, "then we'll keep this conversation between us."

Luna sighed. "What I was trying to say earlier is that your name would normally be reserved for a Sailor Scout. When you asked me what to call you after we met, your name came quickly to me. I realized I'd heard someone call you that name before, and then I remembered. I overheard Queen Serenity talking to you when you were one of her researchers. We barely knew you then...but you must have meant a lot to her if she gave you that name."

"You mean a lot to me too, Logan," added Sailor Moon.

"And me," said Sailor Venus.

"Awww," I heard Sailor Mini Moon sigh.

"I hate being the one to cut this short, but we shouldn't stay here much longer. The Spymaster might decide to come for us himself," said Tuxedo Mask, still disguised in my robes.

"I know where we can hide Hotaru, but you might not like it," I turned to Trista. She was now carrying Hotaru in her arms and eyed me curiously. "My hideout. I'm the only one who has access, so the other Shadows wouldn't be able to sneak in."

"Give him a chance, Trista," pleaded Sailor Jupiter.

Trista looked at the floor as she considered my suggestion. "You're asking me to put a lot of faith in you, Shadow...but it is the safest place for her. As long as she stays with me."

"The worst I'll do is lock you in for a couple hours if you're not nice," I teased.

"He's kidding, Trista!" said Sailor Mini Moon when Trista glared at me again. Sailor Moon face-palmed.

"Amara and Michelle didn't say where they were going, but they left me the car keys," Trista spoke past me and carried Hotaru in her arms and carried her off.

"Meet the rest of us at Cherry Hill Temple. Hopefully, we'll be able to get in touch with them from there" said Sailor Jupiter.

"Hotaru couldn't fully heal your wound, and you have other injuries. We'll still take you to the hospital once we know that Hotaru is safe," said Sailor Mercury.

Sailor Moon and Venus went ahead with Tuxedo Mask and the cats, but Sailor Mars raised a hand in front of me before I could follow them. "Logan, I know you feel like we don't notice when you help, but we do," said Sailor Mars.

"And nobody hates you for it. So don't think you only have Serena and Mina," finished Sailor Jupiter.

"But do you trust me?" I asked.

"We're trying, Logan. I hope you know that," said Sailor Mercury.

"Yeah, I do. Thanks," I said. "We'd better get a move on."

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

"Sorry, sweetums, Serena ain't on roster for t'day, either. Wish I had her work schedule." A cowgirl-dressed waitress at the ever-busy Texas restaurant apologized to two guests at the front of a long line.

One of the guests was a twenty-one year old girl with shoulder-length red hair and a green ribbon in her hair. "Maybe your mom was talking about a different Serena. You still want to eat here?" She spoke with a recognizable City accent when she asked her companion. The other guest was a young man, roughly the same age, with messy brown hair. He lifted his glasses with one finger, but before he could reply, he thought he saw an older man with brown hair and a brown beard waving them over to his table.

"You're more than welcome to sit with us," the man offered. Molly thought he seemed friendly and kind of hot for an older guy.

"Oh, thanks but - "

"Yeah, thanks! I'm starving!" the other guest abruptly cut off her boyfriend and went straight over to the man's table. He was with another young woman with a very pale complexion. She hid most of her face under a gray hoodie.

"I couldn't help but overhear you were looking for Serena. Your name is Molly, right?" the man asked the guest who just joined them.

"Yeah, Molly Baker, pleased to meet you!" The outgoing girl bowed and smiled warmly. "You know Serena? Long blonde hair with buns?"

"That's the one," the man - the Spymaster - smirked. Molly suddenly began feeling faint. Her fingers tingled and her body shook. She quickly realized this wasn't out of hunger...her energy was being drained...

"No...not again..." Molly whimpered.

"Molly!" Melvin cried as her knees buckled. The woman wearing the gray hoodie reached forward in a lightning quick motion, grabbed Melvin by the waist, and slammed his head against the table. Robes materialized around the two Shadows as four police officers jumped from their table and drew nightsticks.

The female Shadow materialized in front of the door as the guests and waiters started to panic. "Nobody move," she warned as the Spymaster teleported behind the charging officers, leaving them confused and vulnerable when he appeared behind them. He slammed the one farthest away into a nearby table and into a sitting guest, kicked another into the table, and rapidly drained energy from one officer while holding the last one by the throat.

"It's discouraging to see how little progress Earth has made the last thousand years," the Spymaster lamented before headbutting the choking officer. He dragged the unconscious Molly and Melvin towards the door. Not one else in the restaurant flinched or even coughed as they watched helplessly.

"With respect, Spymaster," questioned his companion, "I don't understand why we're not going after the Turncoat. Do you think you can turn him back - "

"Your predecessor made the mistake of second-guessing my orders, Commander," warned the Spymaster. "He may have accelerated our timetable, but because of his haste, he is dead, along with several of our brothers. You were nearly one of them." He dropped Molly and Melvin down at the new Shadow Commander's feet. "Today, we are sending a message..."

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I struggled a bit deciding how to continue, but diving deeper into Logan's personality and motivations is something I wanted to do for a long time. I especially enjoyed showing Logan's sarcastic side and writing the part where he mocks Pluto! I was worried about sandwiching a funny moment between two serious ones (when the Sailor Scouts finally begin trusting him), but I think that's how conversations go sometimes - you start talking about one thing and wonder how you wound up talking about something else.

Thanks to everyone who has been following me, your comments and messages are greatly appreciated! Let me know how I did!


	23. Chapter 23: The Darkness Within

**Chapter 23: The Darkness Within**

"Too bad the car wasn't big enough for all of us," Sailor Moon complained through her shivering as the group - minus Trista and Hotaru - trudged through the cold. The snow accumulated to the point where it slowed us down and nighttime was beginning to fall. We passed by very few pedestrians and cars in the road. I actually thought Trista was kind of crazy driving in this weather. The only positive was that if the Shadows were tracking us, the weather would make it a bit harder for them. I still kept glancing behind the group for any sign of them...

"Sailor Mercury! Finally, a good connection!" My computer's voice chimed over her communicator.

Sailor Mercury flipped her VR visor over her face. "Vigil, someone was jamming our communications when we were at the house! We couldn't contact each other either," Sailor Mercury informed him.

"Even though I couldn't contact you, I was still able to track your positions through the energy signatures in the pins that the Spymaster gave you. Except for the locket, looks like someone was in a rush," my computer answered.

"I swear I didn't know he could track you," I informed them. But when I looked around at their faces, none of them were glaring at me.

"It's alright, Logan, I figured you didn't," assured Sailor Mercury.

"You gave my computer a name," I noted.

"I didn't want to keep referring to him - I mean, it - as merely 'your computer'," she answered.

"Yeah, I'm really bad at naming things," I admitted. Then again, he probably hadn't needed a name 1,000 years ago - from my conversation with Princess Serenity, it didn't sound like I had many friends then.

"I devised a quick software fix that should make it harder for the other Shadows to jam our communications in the future. They're good, but they're not particularly tech-saavy...at least compared to you, Sailor Mercury," my computer flattered her.

"Looks like Venus isn't the only one who just got a boyfriend," teased Sailor Mars. Amy blushed.

This time, all our communicators rang. "This is Trista, we just got to the Temple, but it's probably safer for us to stay in the car, isn't it?"

"Can you see the Temple from where you are? It's not on fire or anything, is it?" asked Sailor Moon.

"Uh...no, it looks fine from here." Trista answered. "Get here soon."

Sailor Mars' face wrinkled in anger as it often did when she was talking to Serena. "Why would you ask her that?!"

Sailor Moon hesitated to answer. "Uh, well, it's just that the Spymaster said if we interfered he'd...burn your temple to the ground and destroy everyone I love."

"You didn't have to repeat him word-for-word," I whispered to Sailor Moon. She grinned a nervous smile.

Sailor Mars now turned her anger towards Luna. "I wish you had asked me before using the Temple as our secret base, Luna!" Sailor Mars fumed.

Luna hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry, Raye. After we defeated Galaxia, I thought that the worst was behind us. I never thought that we would face an enemy like this. They're always one step ahead of us."

"At least we don't have to worry about Trista," I said in a thinly-veiled attempt to lighten the mood. Sailor Mercury cringed, knowing I was about to make another Trista joke, but everyone else looked at me with curious eyes. "Either she's a Sailor Scout, or she's a magical nanny and can hide in her bottomless carpet bag if she gets into trouble."

While some of them sighed and others groaned, they all jumped when Trista asked "what did he just say?!"

"He said wait in the car, we'll be there in a couple minutes. Bye!" Sailor Mars quickly cut her off and closed her communicator.

"You're not going to stop until we tell you who she is, are you?" Darien asked in exasperation. I shook my head. I already knew; I just wanted them to admit it.

"Just like Serena. She trained you well," sighed Luna. Out of the corner of my eye, I happened to catch a figure quickly dart into an alley several feet behind us. "No one was even supposed to know that Sailor Pluto exists, Charon, due to her - what's wrong?" Luna asked when she noticed me glancing up at nearby rooftops.

Everyone else stopped to look at me. "Keep walking, but I think we're being followed," I told them.

The girls cast uneasy glances at each other, betraying their attempts to appear calm and disinterested with what was going on around them. "Maybe we should split up?" asked Sailor Venus.

"Something bad always happens when we split up," noted Sailor Jupiter.

"We can't let them stop us from getting Hotaru to the hideout. That's the most important thing right now," Artemis looked up and whispered.

I looked at Darien. He was still disguised in Shadow robes. He noticed me looking and came to the same conclusion: "They might not know which one of us is the real Charon. Half of you can come with me and take the long way to the Temple. At least we'll split their attention if they are following us."

"And if anything happens, Vigil can track you using your pins," I added.

"Rini and I don't have pins," Sailor Mars informed us. "I loaned mine to a certain someone who left her locket behind."

"You two are with me, then," I said. Sailor Mini Moon looked back at me and smiled, but Mars looked uneasy.

"I'd feel more comfortable if Sailor Moon went with you," Sailor Mars said.

"The Spymaster would expect me to stay with Charon," disagreed Sailor Moon.

"I'll take care of her, don't worry," promised Darien.

"Artemis and I will go with you too, Charon," volunteered Sailor Venus.

"I'll come back to the Temple for the rest of you when Hotaru's safe," I assured Sailor Moon and the others.

"You'd better," teased Sailor Moon. We split up after we passed the arcade; we took the direct route to the temple while Sailor Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Luna and Darien turned right.

With less of a need for secrecy, Venus slowed her pace down until she was walking right beside me. "Picked quite a time to get together, didn't we Logan?" teased Venus. "Seems like we've barely talked since lunch."

Sailor Mini Moon stopped and turned towards us. "Awww, you didn't tell me you two were already together!"

"Just since lunch," I told her.

"You have to tell me how it went! It must have been so romantic," said Mini Moon.

I tried my hardest to suppress laughing. "We didn't really plan - "

"It was, Rini!" I didn't need to look into Sailor Venus' eyes to see that she was lovestruck again. Her voice became floaty as she babbled, "we went to the Texan barbeque restaurant and shared an appetizer sampler after the manager mistook me for Serena and asked me to wait tables, but he was so sweet after!"

"So that's where Serena's been," noted Rini. Sailor Mars glared at Sailor Venus. Venus blushed when she realized her mistake: they had promised not to tell Rini that Serena had failed school and was now working at the restaurant.

"Maybe we should tell her," I said to Sailor Mars and Venus. "She's our friend too, and I feel bad about keeping this from her."

"Don't feel bad, Logan. I know she was failing university," said Sailor Mini Moon. "Her counselor accidentally left a message on our home phone. I tried to delete it, but her parents found out and that's why they grounded me."

"Serena thought you'd rat her out if you found out she failed. She's staying at the restaurant because she's worried her parents will be mad at her," said Sailor Mars.

"Disappointed, maybe, but they wouldn't exactly be surprised," said Mini Moon. "They're worried about her."

"Well, I'm sure Serena would appreciate knowing you tried to cover for her, Rini," said Sailor Venus. Our communicators' alarm went off as we stood at the base of the temple stairs.

"Hey, it's us," said Sailor Mercury. "We just learned that the Spymaster appeared at the Texas barbeque restaurant within the last half hour."

"Was he looking for us?" Sailor Mars asked.

"We don't know. Apparently he and another Shadow transformed in public and kidnapped two of the guests. We're going to check it out," Sailor Mercury answered. I can't say I liked the idea...but I knew Serena would want to find out what the Shadows were doing there.

"Be careful," cautioned Sailor Venus. "He might decide to come back. Any word from Uranus or Neptune?"

"Not yet, but Vigil picked up some strange readings on the outskirts. We should check it out once Hotaru is safe - though we still need to take Charon to a doctor, too," Mercury reminded us.

I habitually covered my communicator with the sleeve of my robe when I opened it to speak to her. "I'm OK. We'll check the Temple first to make sure it's safe."

"Keep in touch," said Sailor Mercury before she signed off.

"Luna and I have been meaning to get you another communicator, Charon." Artemis called to me as we climbed the temple stairs. He must have noticed me covering my communicator

"I don't suppose any of the Sailor Scouts have ever been boys?" I asked.

Sailor Venus paused and turned to me. "Not unless you count the Starlights," she said.

"No! Definitely not!" Sailor Mars shouted defensively.

"Starlights?" I asked.

"It's kind of an awkward topic, Charon. We have a lot to get you caught up on when we're settled," recommended Artemis.

"I still haven't finished those comics you gave me," I smiled and admitted to Venus.

She smiled back. "I know you've been busy," she answered.

"We'd better make sure the Temple's before we call Trista. Don't forget Serena's locket," Sailor Mars told us. Venus and Mini Moon went into the girls' quarters while Mars and I walked through the Temple grounds and examined the outside of the buildings. I noticed the paint starting to peel off on some of the buildings. Sailor Mars slid open the door to the main shrine and peeked inside.

"I don't sense any dark energy here. I wouldn't expect visitors in this weather," she said. She opened her communicator: "Trista, the temple looks clear."

"Good. Hotaru's awake, she's getting a little restless. Be there soon," replied Trista.

Sailor Mars looked around the shrine. "This place is coming apart," she noticed. "I couldn't wait until I was finished with school and I could help out around the Temple myself. But then grandpa got sick. It became a lot for me to handle on my own."

"I don't fully understand these other powers you have," I told her.

Sailor Mars turned away from me. "I've been able to commune with the spirit world since I was little. I had visions of the future long before I was Sailor Mars, though the visions aren't always clear. People were cold towards me because of my powers...except for Serena and the others. Did you notice anything...different, about you before you learned you were a Shadow?"

I had to give it a bit of thought. "I felt invisible, like nobody even noticed I was there. I hardly considered that a power, though."

Sailor Mars smiled a bit. "I would have gladly traded with you. That's a handy power to have if you're a Shadow, though." But I grimaced when I sensed dark energy coming closer...

"I felt it too," said Sailor Mars. Racing to the temple steps, we saw three figures approaching below.

"They're ordinary people," noted Sailor Mars.

"They might be under the Shadows' control," I reminded her. "We'd better hide."

We ran back to the quarters where the girls were staying. Trista was already there holding Hotaru in her arms. Sailors Mini Moon and Venus were sitting as well. Like my quarters with Darien, it was an open white room with no obvious hiding places.

"Someone's coming," Sailor Mars cautioned. "We should wait for them to leave."

"I don't think they're just visiting in this weather," noted Sailor Venus. She and Mini Moon moved closer to Trista and Hotaru.

We heard footsteps coming towards us. "Do we have a better room to hide in?" I asked Sailor Mars.

"They're just like this one!" she answered and pulled me inside. There was no time for us to relocate. The others couldn't disappear like I could. There were many other rooms to peek into, but if the Shadows' pawns looked into this one, we'd have to fight our way out...

"Looks like we're playing hide and seek again, kiddo," Trista said to Hotaru.

"I want to play something else," Hotaru pouted.

"Just one more game, Hotaru. Try to stay quiet and still," Trista requested.

"Is anyone here? We come seeking aid and guidance." The man outside spoke in a monotone.

"He sounds just like the ones that attacked us," I said to Rini.

She nodded. "Definitely with the Shadows," she confirmed.

"Trista, this is boring!" Hotaru complained as I heard the man's footsteps walk past the room at a steady, almost rhythmic pace.

"Rini, help me calm her down!" pleaded Trista.

"Hey, want to see my toy?" asked Mini Moon. Her Pink Moon Stick briefly interested Hotaru, but Rini tugged it back when Hotaru tried to pull it away. The man outside froze...

Sailor Mars motioned for everyone to move to the left side of the room from where the door would slide open. As the man approached, I remembered Luna telling me that dark magic masters had the power to manipulate minds. If the Shadows had the same power to control these people, then I could do the same...it was only a matter of remembering how. As the door began creaking open, I decided to give it a try. It was that or fight our way out of here...

"Charon!" Sailor Mars whispered my name when I grabbed the man's arm, pulled him in, and grabbed him by the collar with my other hand.

"LOOK INTO MY EYES," I commanded the pawn. I could see my own reflection in his eyes: my hood still shaded the top half of my face, but my eyes now glowed red and my irises were now yellow with snake-like slits for pupils. His mouth dropped and he shuddered as he stared at me in terror, as if he was free of whatever spell the Shadows held him under. But I had to make sure everyone left safely: "TELL THE SHADOWS WHO SENT YOU THAT YOU FOUND NOTHING, THEN FIND YOUR LOVED ONES AND LEAVE THE CITY," I ordered.

His irises once again went blank and he closed his mouth. "Yes, Spymaster," he blankly replied and left.

"That was scary, Logan," Mini Moon whispered. I glanced up long enough to see Trista burying Hotaru's face in her shoulder. I was scared to see Venus and Mars' faces.

"You know I only did it to protect us, right?" I asked Mini Moon. I walked over to her and instinctively reached for her shoulder, but retracted my hand when I noticed she was avoiding my gaze.

"Y...yeah, I know," Rini nodded, though she still looked down at her feet. She pushed herself to look at me with her bold red eyes and saw the disappointment in mine. "I trust you," she added.

"I'll take a peek outside. Get ready to move," I said. I saw the pawn report to a pair of Shadows.

"I don't trust these pawns. There should be a dozen of us searching the Temple," one of the Shadows said to the other. I motioned for the Sailor Scouts and Trista to sneak around the back while they were distracted.

"We don't have the numbers anymore, and the Spymaster is reluctant to recall our brothers and sisters from other parts of the world," answered the other Shadow.

"We should burn this worthless temple to the ground," said one of the Shadows. I could hear Sailor Mars stop in her tracks.

"Not without the Spymaster's order. Besides, there's a chance that the Sailor Scouts could return. It will be very difficult to retrieve Sailor Saturn if the Turncoat moves her to his base." With that assurance, Sailor Mars started moving again. With the others gone, I followed closely behind.

"You were right about them following us," Sailor Mars said to me. "At least the temple is safe for now."

"I thought the bracer was supposed to keep him from doing something like that. He can control minds now?" said Trista.

"Charon might not be able to control them on a large scale, but the bracer may allow him to influence an individual person," admitted Artemis.

"He only did it to protect us," argued Sailor Venus. I knew she'd have my side.

"Just remember what Luna said. Don't misuse your powers," reminded Sailor Mars. We gathered on the path behind the Temple that would take us into the dark forest below. "Let's not waste any more time..."

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you all enjoyed my latest chapter! Hopefully the extra length made up for the slightly longer wait.

As Logan begins to discover what he is capable of, will he be able to resist the temptation to use his powers on a larger scale? Or is this the beginning of his fall towards darkness? This is the time of year when things get busy, but I'll try to update with one new chapter per week!


	24. Chapter 24: Sanctuary

**Chapter 24: Sanctuary**

"I feel like we've been going in circles." Sailor Mars finally broke the silence after nearly half an hour of wandering around the forest. Except for Hotaru expressing curiosity once in a while at owls and rabbits in the distance, everyone had been suspiciously quiet. I knew that part of the reason was to avoid attracting unwanted attention, but I worried that the others were afraid of me after I 'persuaded' the Shadows' pawn to report he didn't find us. Sailor Venus and Mars still had faith in me, and Trista hated me as usual, but I feared that Mini Moon was still afraid of me.

"I don't remember it being this far. Are you sure we're going the right way, Logan?" Sailor Venus finally asked. I didn't want to say it, but I wasn't 100% sure. With Sailor Venus and Mars watching me like a pair of hawks, I hoped that I wouldn't start seeing things from the past again. But my visions were what guided us to the hideout last time.

"It's close. Maybe we could stop for a while, set up a campfire," suggested Artemis. But his shivering betrayed his opinion.

"I don't want to stop. It's getting cold," said Hotaru riding on Trista's shoulders. Trista nodded in agreement. Stopping wasn't an option for us.

"Hey, Hotaru! I have another toy I haven't shown you or Logan yet!" Sailor Mini Moon exclaimed. I was relieved to hear that she wasn't avoiding me out of fear. She reached behind her and pulled out a backpack-sized black rubber ball that looked just like Luna's head, except its eyes were blue instead of brown and it had an antenna on her forehead. Hotaru laughed when the smiling toy jumped out of Mini Moon's hands and hovered around her.

"I didn't see you bring Luna Ball with you from the future. I thought you might have outgrown it," teased Sailor Mars.

"No way! She's still my closest friend and besides, she's really useful! Watch! Luna-P Illuminate!" Upon Mini Moon's command, the rubber ball's eyes and the light on top of her antenna lit up the forest. I even felt a bit warmer.

"The light will certainly help. Luna's famous enough to have her own line of toys in the future?" I asked. Rini closed her eyes and giggled.

"She thinks it doesn't look like her," sighed Artemis. I couldn't understand why she would think that. Thanks to Luna-P, I caught a silhouette dash away in the distance.

"I saw someone," I whispered in Sailor Mars' and Venus' direction, unsure if I was seeing things again or if they were really stalking us.

"Wait here, guys," I heard Sailor Mars call back to Rini, Hotaru, and Trista as they kept having fun with Rini's toy. I darted off after the figure, but he didn't go far before stopping, giving Sailor Mars and Venus a chance to catch up to me. When the figure stopped, I could clearly see they were wearing Shadow robes.

"I see a Shadow over there," I whispered and pointed to where the Shadow stood in wait. I hid behind the tree when he started glancing around, but I noticed Sailor Mars stared ahead without flinching.

"I don't see anyone. It's not good that you're seeing things again, Logan..." Sailor Mars lamented just as the ground ahead of the Spymaster opened and another Shadow stepped out. I realized that the figure was me. There, I found the tree with the crescent moon that marked the spot.

"Good news is I found the hideout. Bad news is the Spymaster was here. If he doesn't remember yet, he will eventually," I told them.

"I'll get the others," said Sailor Mars. I shifted over to a tree in front so I could hear the Shadows - or me and 'Henry' - speaking to each other. Although Henry's back was still turned to me, I could see my own figure cross his arms and shake his head.

"I've never even heard of Sailor Saturn before. I never thought that Queen Serenity would order her to destroy all civilization on Earth," my figure said.

"That's not all. Once Queen Beryl's forces have been dealt with, all remaining Shadows will be forcibly cleansed by the Silver Crystal or banished to the Negamoon. I'm sorry Spymaster, but the evidence is conclusive," answered pre-Spymaster Henry.

My figure turned his back on Henry and faced the tree. "There has to be another way to stop this. We could appeal to the other Sailor Scouts. They stand for justice - "

"They stand for themselves," Henry sneered.

Sailor Venus patted my shoulder and shook me out of my trance. "Logan, you've been staring at that tree for a while. Are you alright?" she asked.

I nodded and looked back to where the two figures stood, but they had disappeared and the ground had closed. "I think I know why I resigned. Henry - the Spymaster - told me that Queen Serenity ordered the destruction of Earth to stop Queen Beryl. And then she was going to cleanse the Shadows with the Silver Crystal or banish them to the Negamoon. Like we were just tools..." my voice trailed off.

Sailor Venus turned towards me and put her hand on my shoulder. She broke my stare by gazing into my eyes with her beautiful blue ones."Henry's the one who manipulated you. You quit because you thought it was the right thing to do. But Sailor Saturn's not what he made her out to be."

"I didn't think Queen Serenity would do something like that, but when I met her, I knew she was hiding something," I admitted to Sailor Venus. I heard Sailor Mars' heels patter on the ground as she rejoined us. The others were following from a distance. I could still hear Hotaru's laughter as she played with Luna P.

"I know she wasn't evil, Logan. Hopefully we'll get to hear her side of the story," said Sailor Venus. I rubbed her hand before I approached the tree and opened the passage to my secret hideout by summoning dark magic like before.

"You lived here?" Sailor Mini Moon asked as she and the others jumped in after me.

"Yeah, it's a downgrade from where you live in the future, isn't it?" I asked.

"Uuuhhhh..." Mini Moon's voice trailed off and she looked away; I could tell she didn't want to answer that one. "It's warm," was the one positive she could think of.

I noticed that Hotaru was the only one admiring the place when I turned around. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open in childhood wonder. Everyone else had scrunched their noses like they smelled something bad and peered around the dark cave formations and crudely-dug out rooms. I could imagine they weren't excited about the idea of being stuck here for days, weeks, maybe even months of hiding from the other Shadows...

Once again, my computer drew my guests' attention when it hummed to life and Vigil's holographic Shadow form once again appeared in the terminal. At least everyone seemed mildly impressed to see him.

"Welcome back, Spymaster. You brought some new faces! Hmm...no profiles, but I can detect the energies of the Silver Crystal on them. Sailor Scouts?" he asked.

"Yeah, but one of them doesn't want to admit it yet," I explained. I heard Trista huff behind me. "Tone down the sarcasm around her, she has no sense of humor."

"Logan!" Sailor Mini Moon didn't like me teasing Trista.

"That's Sailor Mini Moon, and the other girl is Hotaru," I introduced them. Trista carried Hotaru into the same room that I carried Princess Serenity.

Vigil's hologram leaned in closer to examine Rini. "Mini Moon? I knew it! You look just like your mother. Except for the ears...you have the Spymaster's ears! I told you the Princess would fall for you one day, Spymaster!"

I could feel the eyes of every Sailor Scout in the room on my back. "Uh...Rini 's not my daughter. Princess Serenity is with someone else. I'm dating Sailor Venus," I explained.

"Oh! Of course - you look so much like Princess Serenity, I must have just mixed you two up!" Vigil laughed, but Venus held her arms firmly to her sides and clenched her fist as she made a pouty face. I could see she also got a bit jealous...

"When was the last time you heard from the others?" I changed the subject. At least we had business to distract us.

"I told them about the Shadows following us and told them to keep an eye out," answered Sailor Mars. "Amy said they were busy. I'll try them again," said Sailor Mars.

"They're still in the restaurant. They've been in there a while now," noted Vigil.

"Vigil, are there any other entrances and exits to this hideout? The Spymaster's going to find out we're here," I asked my computer.

"There are plenty of unmarked ways in and out of this base once you know where to look. I was wondering why you came all this way. But don't worry about the fake Spymaster just hanging out in the forest, waiting for you guys to pop out," he answered.

Our communicators started bleeping. When Sailor Mars opened hers, Sailor Jupiter's image came up on the computer screen. "Hey guys. Sorry we cut things short last time, Raye. We found out why the Spymaster came here. They kidnapped Molly and Melvin."

"Serena's friends?" Sailor Venus asked in alarm.

"Yeah. Serena's really upset about it. We checked on Amy's mom and Raye's grandpa at the hospital. They're fine," said Sailor Jupiter.

"We got Hotaru to Charon's hideout, but the Spymaster might remember where it is. There's other ways in, but you guys had better get back here soon," said Sailor Mars.

"I'm glad Hotaru's safe. At least that's some good news. We'll grab some last-minute supplies and meet Charon soon," said Jupiter.

"Hold on!" Sailor Mars looked at me with discomfort before shying away and facing her communicator. "Something else happened earlier we didn't tell you guys about..."

"Sorry to interrupt, Sailor Mars!" Vigil's voice rang out. "I got a signal from the Eternity Main System. It's back online!"

"That's impossible," said Sailor Venus.

"The signal's being bounced around, so it's not coming from the Moon. I think someone wants to talk to you," Vigil informed me.

"It's the Spymaster," I sighed. "Who else would be able to get in touch with me here?"

"Darien, tell Serena and Amy to open their communicators!" Sailor Jupiter called out.

"I'll grab Trista!" said Sailor Venus.

"Is it safe for us to talk to him?" I asked Vigil as Venus ran into the room Trista had taken Hotaru.

"Got you covered, Spymaster. He's waiting on the other end," said Vigil.

"What do you want, Henry?" I snarled. The Spymaster's face came up on the screen; he also tilted his hood so that I could not see the upper half of his face, but I recognized the brown beard covering the lower half.

"I see you're back on your feet, Charon. Good." I rolled my eyes at the Spymaster's insincere expression of sympathy. "I understand there's been some confusion regarding the truce. Given the nature of Sailor Saturn's abilities, I'm sure that your 'friends' will understand we need to take precautions first. They made you wear a bracer, after all."

"Sailor Saturn isn't who you think she is," I snarled back to him. "And it doesn't matter. We're not turning her over to you."

The Spymaster smirked. "What are you planning to do? Hide in your cave and wait us out? That's not a strategy, Charon: that's cowardice. You're making things unnecessarily difficult for yourselves."

"I heard we've been making things hard for you too," I said. "That's why you've resorted to controlling humans."

His smirk dropped, quickly replaced by a frown. "I never wanted to resort to these methods, Charon. I hoped humanity would have become more progressive between the fall of the Moon Kingdom and our reawakening. But eventually they'll realize that we are guiding them to a better future. We're giving them a fresh start," the Spymaster said.

"You're still trying to turn Charon against us! It's not going to work! He's our friend," shouted Mini Moon.

The Spymaster's frown quickly reversed itself. "You're Sailor Moon's daughter, visiting from the future. Tell me: did you ever see Charon's face in Crystal Tokyo? Did your mother or the Sailor Scouts of the future even mention him?" asked the Spymaster.

I saw poor Rini's face scrunch up as she tried her hardest to remember something about me. "There's lots of reasons why she might not have seen or heard about me," I intervened.

"Yeah! Besides, the future can be changed!" added Sailor Venus.

But the Spymaster remained nonchalant. "Charon's fate is one thing that can't be changed. Sailor Mini Moon shares his fantasy: she thinks he'll finally be treated as a member of the family after you've won. Maybe you have your own version of that dream, Sailor Venus. But Sailor Moon would never let any of you get that close to him as Queen. She'll cast him aside when he's no longer useful, just like her mother did."

"I never cast my friends aside, Henry!" Sailor Moon's voice challenged him.

A voice behind the Spymaster called to him from behind a door. "We've started rebuilding the capital on the outskirts of Tokyo. The new Palace looks magnificent. I'd invite you to visit, but you sound determined to remain in your hole underground. All four of your companions are already here," he claimed.

"Four?" asked Sailor Venus.

"Yes, Sailors Uranus and Neptune recognize there's no need for this civil war. Your friends will not be harmed, Sailor Moon, provided you do not harm another Shadow. But if you delay surrendering Hotaru, I'll have to consider alternative methods." he threatened. The Spymaster's face vanished from the screen.

"I don't believe him," said Trista. "Amara and Michelle wouldn't betray us. Again," she addded.

"Again?" I sneered. "Sounds like I've been held to a double standard." I saw the lines in Trista's face soften before she looked down. She almost looked ashamed.

"Nobody's been trying to hurt your feelings on purpose, Logan," said Artemis sincerely. "I'm also worried about this city he said he's building. Those must be the energy signatures we detected earlier. They'd need a lot of energy to build a city that quickly."

"I'm worried too, we need to investigate," said Luna's voice over the communicator.

"No offense, but subtlety isn't a strong suit for the Sailor Scouts," said Vigil.

"Tell me about it. Just how many times have we been caught spying on each other?" sighed Sailor Mars.

"I'll go on my own and see what I can find out," I suggested. Sailor Venus, Mars, and Mini Moon exchanged nervous glances suggesting they didn't like the idea.

"We'll meet you nearby. I don't want to think about what they'll do to you if you get caught, Logan," admitted Sailor Moon over the communicator.

"So don't get caught," teased Vigil. We noticed the girls behind me glaring at him. "Sorry, I'm trying. He's the Spymaster, sneaking in and out is his thing," he said with more sincerity.

Trista approached Sailor Venus, and dropped the car keys in her hand. "I need to stay with Hotaru, but if you're going with him, you can take the car if you need to."

We heard Artemis beginning to sob. "You guys are growing up so fast."

"Oh Artemis," sighed Sailor Venus. She tapped me on the elbow: "come on, Logan."

"What about me and Raye?" Sailor Mini Moon called to us as Luna-P still hovered around her.

"You two should stay with Hotaru, help keep her company," suggested Sailor Venus. She smiled at Mini Moon, but Mini Moon faced me with wide eyes and a frown. I tried to think of something more reassuring to say than 'I'll be fine' or 'I'll be back before you know it', but the words didn't come.

Mini Moon turned towards Luna Ball. "Luna-P, I want you to go with Logan. Protect him, just like you protect me," she asked. The light on Luna-P's antenna began flashing.

"Rini, you don't have to give her to me. I know she means a lot to you," I said. Luna-P's antenna stopped flashing and the cat-faced rubber ball flew towards me.

"Please take her with you! She might be able to help!" pleaded Sailor Mini Moon. "If you need something, say 'Luna Ball Kitty Magic!"

"That's so sweet of you, Rini," said Sailor Mars.

I couldn't help but smile. I hadn't expected Mini Moon to entrust her closest friend to me. "I'll bring her back safe, I promise," I assured her...

**To Be Continued**

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed my latest chapter! Special thanks for the recent reviews, favorites, and follows for my story - it means a lot to me!

Had to use some of my imagination on this one. I have to admit that I had some trouble thinking about how to continue from last time. I try hard to have the right balance between action and character development. I didn't want to add an action scene to this chapter for the sake of having an action scene in this chapter. I'd really appreciate your reviews and notes on this one to let me know how I did. I hope you're looking forward to the next one!


	25. Chapter 25: The Crystal Prison

**Chapter 25: The Crystal Prison**

On the way to Pluto's car, Sailor Venus told me about her time battling thugs and monsters in London...the real version of it, since I didn't finish the Sailor V comics she gave me the first night we met. She did most of the talking, but she didn't seem to mind. Mina had so many stories and hadn't even gotten to when she and Artemis joined the other Scouts. I wished I had been a part of all that. The line between good and evil seemed so clearly defined then. And the bad guys seemed a lot more creative. Thanks to Artemis, I didn't get to hear more stories once Sailor Venus started driving...

"Mina, slow down! You're swerving!" Artemis leapt between the front seats and cried.

"I'm not swerving! He's such a backseat driver!" Venus complained. "Sweetie, could you see if there's a map in the glove compartment?" she asked me. I opened it up and found one. "Good, can you throw it in the back? There, you can navigate, Artemis!"

The map only bought us five seconds of silence. "There's a left turn coming up, you should have signaled earlier! And you're holding the wheel too tight!" Artemis' hairs stood up as she went into the turn. "Go easy on the brake! And turn gently, Mina! You're driving like a madwoman!"

"Artemis! If you don't stop complaining, I'll pull over and throw you out of the car! We'll see how much you like walking the rest of the way in the snow!" fumed Venus.

"Maybe you could let him take the wheel," I teased. Artemis stayed quiet the rest of the way, but he jumped out of the back seat and landed eagle-spread into the snow when she stopped.

"Hey, guys!" Sailor Venus called out to the others. Sailor Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter were waiting for us up ahead. "Raye and Rini stayed with Trista and Hotaru. I wish Artemis had stayed too."

"The Spymaster's teaching a class at his dojo. Luna stayed behind to keep an eye on him. Darien went ahead to look for ways in," said Sailor Jupiter.

"That's Luna Ball!" noticed Sailor Mercury. "How come she's following you, Logan?"

"Rini loaned Luna Ball to him. Isn't she sweet?" Sailor Venus beamed.

A mischievous smile crawled onto Sailor Jupiter's face. "Somebody's growing a crush," she teased.

Sailor Moon was not amused, however. She raised a fist and shouted. "That little weasel! First she hogs all my time with Darien, now she's got her sights on Mina's boyfriend!" she fumed.

Jupiter waved an arm in the air as she tried to retract her joke. "Calm down, Serena! I was kidding!"

I looked past the other Sailor Scouts and down the hill overlooking the Spymaster's version of the palace. When I saw the white domed mausoleum, flashes from the same recurring dream I had just before I met Serena came back to me. "I didn't grow up in the Palace," I said to myself, but I said it loud enough to attract the attention of the others. "I was old enough to remember the first time I saw it."

"It would have been suspicious if royalty started disappearing for months or years at a time," said Artemis. "The Shadows must have been recruited from..."

"Non-royalty?" I asked when he struggled to come up with the right word. I got the feeling he was looking for something nicer to say than 'common people'.

"Yeah, non-royalty," he agreed.

"I figured, they don't seem to like us too much," sighed Sailor Moon. She faced me and said, "we don't remember much about our past lives, either. Just a few bits and pieces here and there."

Darien darted up the hill. He had ditched his disguise in favor of his usual black tuxedo and cape. "I couldn't find another way in. Their version of the Palace has no windows or balconies, it's like a prison."

"Maybe you shouldn't go alone, Logan," suggested Artemis. "We have no idea what's in there."

"I'm not alone, I've got Luna Ball," I pointed to Rini's toy hovering around me, but everyone traded nervous glances. "I have the best chance of getting in and out undetected if I go in by myself," I elaborated.

"Uranus and Neptune may have been captured - or worse, the Shadows may have found a way to control them. Either way, we need to find out what happened to them," said Artemis. I saw Sailor Venus uncomfortably holding her elbows: we hadn't told them that I had figured out how to control minds, too. I knew we had to tell them eventually, but I wasn't looking forward to that conversation...

Sailor Moon handed me a photograph of herself with another pretty girl in their school uniforms. She had wavy brownish-red hair, blue eyes and a green ribbon in her hair. "That's my friend, Molly. The Spymaster said Melvin's here too: he's a genius with enormous glasses and brown hair that he's allergic to combing. But I understand if you don't have time to look for them," Sailor Moon frowned.

"I'll keep an eye out for them," I promised.

"What if you run into Shadows? You can't beat them on your own," Sailor Jupiter reminded me.

"I don't need to. I can stun them long enough to get away," I answered. "Did Luna leave the disguising pen with you guys?"

"You want me to disguise myself as a Shadow again? I thought you were going in alone," said Tuxedo Mask when Sailor Moon pulled out the pen.

"You can follow me more closely. We might find another way in, and I might need a distraction," I suggested.

"So I'm just your doppelganger now?" he asked.

"Oh I get it: you only want to help beautiful women," I taunted.

Tuxedo Mask opened his mouth, but before he could object, Sailor Moon clasped her hands together and beamed. "Logan, you're so sweet! Darien, do whatever he says!"

"Unbelievable," sulked Tuxedo Mask.

"You'd better get moving. Good luck, Logan," said Sailor Mercury.

"We'll be here if you need us," offered Sailor Venus. To get down faster, I dropped to the edge of the hill and slid down. I realized halfway through that this was something I never would have done before I learned I was a Shadow; I hated heights. I tumbled into the snow below and scanned my surroundings for possible ambush points and hiding places. It looked like a clear run to the palace, but I crouched just in case.

As I approached the Palace, I noticed strange light blue energy beams adorning the dome, like crystal skyscrapers spiraling upwards. A single spire towered the highest, like a rocket ship pointed towards the moon. When I came across the frozen lake in front of the palace, I had another flashback from my first visit to Silver Millennium, over a thousand years ago according to the others...

* * *

Like phantoms from the past, I saw transparent, ghost-like figures ice skating on the lake. I was mesmerized when I first saw them, like I had never seen so many people happy at any point in my life before. _"Silver Millennium is everything I dreamed it would be!" _I recalled myself saying. _"How could anyone hate this place?"_

I cringed when the Spymaster's voice answered me: _"Not everyone in Silver Millennium lives in a Palace." _Thankfully, it was just a memory. Even then, he was trying to get inside my head. _"Wait here. If anyone talks to you, bow and be polite. Do not tell them you're from Earth, and don't mention Beryl's name_."

The thoughts came together in my head: I was born on Earth at a time when personal relations were forbidden between the people of Earth and the Moon Kingdom. That's why Princess Serenity kept sneaking around to visit Prince Endymion. But with each answer, I only found myself with more questions, like what made me special enough to bring to the Moon Palace. I figured they were questions for another time.

I stood on the frozen lake and tried to walk slowly across. I wobbled and landed flat on my face, embarrassing myself in front of dozens of royals. First I heard a girl laughing, then I could see a transparent pair of white ice skates glide over and stop right in front of me as I lay face-first on the ground.

_"Skating without skates? Sounds like something Princess Serenity would try!" _the girl said with a faint echo. Princess Serenity...I remembered that was what they called Serena back then. I crooned my neck to look up at the figure greeting me._ "I haven't seen you around the Palace before. What's your name?" _She was a blur, but her blonde hair, blue eyes and fair complexion slowly came into focus...

_"You're shy, aren't you? It's OK. Queen Serenity's waiting for you. Your friend in the robes told me where to find you!" _Sailor Venus' younger apparition grabbed my arms and started lifting me off the ground. So I met Mina the first time I came to Silver Millennium. Either she was on the verge of or had just reached the start of her teenage years at the time. So I met two of the Sailor Scouts before...

* * *

"Get up, Charon!" another woman's cold and commanding voice jolted me back to reality. The transparent, ghost-like figures all vanished. I stumbled up and swung around to face her, only to find a fizzling ball of energy where Luna-P used to be. Trista's less-than-welcoming figure stared me down through it.

I threw my hands up in the air at the sight of her. "And you were worried about ME spying on YOU?!"

Trista looked down and glared at me. "I am trying to help you, Charon," she said in a frustrated tone.

"What happened? Is Logan OK?" Rini - dressed back in civilian clothes - rushed in to join Trista's side.

"I just fell," I said.

"You were lying there for a while," said Trista.

"I'm fine!" I insisted.

"I forgot to mention we could stay in touch with Luna-P. Sorry," apologized Rini.

"It's OK. I'm not mad at you," I said to reassure her. Being more careful to keep my balance, I crossed the frozen lake, walked past the white marble-like fountains, and stood before the main door. Noticing a keyhole, I thought of using dark magic to burn a hole through the lock, but I realized that would make noise. If there was anyone inside, not being heard was as important as not being seen.

Noticing a keyhole, I turned to Luna-P and asked, "I don't suppose you can turn into a lockpick?" Luna-P's smiling face just stared back at me blankly. I tried to recall the words that Rini had told me to use if I needed something form her. "Luna...Ball...Kitty Magic!" I called out. Luna Ball jumped up into the air, burst into a cloud of pink smoke, and a golden hook pick fell onto the ground. I picked it up and began raking the lock. _Ugh, this only takes a second on TV_,_ I should have asked for a key,_ I complained to myself. After a few seconds I was able to turn the keyhole and slowly pushed the heavy door open. I scanned the corners as I opened the door slowly, careful not to make a sound, then looked up to see if there was a Shadow perched above. There was no sign of anyone...

_"You're lucky you ran into Princess Venus first," _Henry's voice echoed in my mind again when I entered the Palace. _"Other royals might take offense if you don't answer them."_

_"It's no trouble at all, really! He can get away with it because he's cute," _Venus' voice echoed in return. I shook my head. I had to stay focused on the present.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a figure decked out in silver armor down the corridor to my left. Fortunately, his back was towards me. My eyes darted around the white, marble-like columns, then I dashed behind one of the columns. I saw an open courtyard with some green plant life sticking up through the snow with the darkening sky above, but an energy field glimmered over it. I saw a second floor and balconies surrounding the courtyard overlooking the garden. The roof was raised too high to jump onto it from the balcony, so it wasn't an escape route. _ Still, the energy field is too high to keep someone from getting in_, I thought.

As quietly as I could, I ran across the garden and hid behind another white column, stopping when I saw another figure wearing silver armor to my left. Neither of them looked too heavily armored or armed, but I didn't want to take any chances fighting them and ran for one of the white doors. I was able to turn the handle without picking the lock and I opened it just enough for me to slip through. I flipped open my communicator. "I found an open courtyard. I won't be able to climb out of it, but you might be able to come in through it."

"I'll check it out, Logan," said Tuxedo Mask over the communicator.

"I saw two figures wearing silver armor," I said. "I think the Shadows are using them as guards. Probably under mind control."

"Henry's sick," muttered Sailor Jupiter's voice. "Are you sure you still want us to hang back?"

"No Shadows yet," I said as I sneaked through the marble-white halls. "I can handle the guards."

"If he's still got it, no one will ever know he was there," Vigil chimed in. "Uranus and Neptune are nearby. It's hard to get an exact fix tracking their communicators, but it looks like they're on the second floor."

"Thanks Vigil," I replied. I sneaked over to another column. There were no guards on my floor, but I saw one standing on the second floor near the spiral staircase. There was another overlooking the handrail on the second floor across from me. When he turned around, I was able to climb high enough on one of the pillars to dangle on the edge. After peeking up to make sure no one saw me, I was able to lift myself up and climb over the rail.

The guard in front of me turned around just as I darted into a nearby room with Luna-P following close behind. I opened the door and leaned against the wall as I heard his footsteps approaching. He gasped when he noticed that the door was open, so I gave him a quick karate chop to the neck. Stunned by the blow, he only made a quick 'oommpphh' sound before I grabbed him under his right arm and placed my right arm behind his head, flipped him onto the ground lying on his back as quietly as I could, then covered his mouth with one hand before ending his muffled screams with a blow to the head.

I peeked outside the room to see the other guard had turned away from me. I noticed there was a larger pair of doors at the end of the hallway. _The guest room, _my instinct told me. That had to be where Sailor Uranus and Neptune were 'staying'. As I opened the door, I saw the edge of an armored guard facing me in the marble white room adorned with golden furniture. I quickly abandoned stealth in favor of speed: I grabbed the wrist of his right hand, kneed him in the stomach, then sent him to the ground with a headbutt. From behind the guard, Sailors Uranus and Neptune turned around in shock.

"Charon!" exclaimed Sailor Uranus.

"Are you here by yourself?" asked Sailor Neptune. Her voice carried full emotion, and neither of their eyes were glazed over. There were no dark magic force fields or torture devices holding them either. Either Uranus and Neptune sneaked in (which, as Vigil said, wasn't their strong suit), or they were staying here voluntarily. If the latter was true, I was in serious trouble...

**To Be Continued**

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! After such a hard time writing the last chapter, this one came to me a lot easier! I decided to split it in two, but that means you won't have to wait long to see what Uranus and Neptune have to say for themselves!

I've wanted to delve into Charon's memories of Silver Millennium for some time now. I decided to mix in parts of his past into the story as opposed to writing entire flashback chapters. Hopefully it's not too confusing and it's easy to see the transition between past and present.

P.S.: I'd forgotten how addicting the music that plays during Sailor Chibi/Mini Moon's transformation scene is. It's stuck in my head.

P.P.S: Made a few slight edits; no major changes. The biggest change was making the flashback scene stand out more so it's less confusing to see the transition between past and present. Hope it helps!


	26. Chapter 26: Cat and Mouse

**Chapter 26: Cat and Mouse**

"I was looking for you," I told them. I decided to let them think I was alone. "The others thought you might have been captured or were under the Spymaster's control."

Sailor Uranus retained her composure and straightened her back, as if she were the one interrogating me. "We thought that the Shadows were a threat to the Moon Princess. We wondered why they didn't hunt us down when they had the numbers."

"When we learned that he spared you back at the Temple, it was very confusing. Then he reached out to us," finished Sailor Neptune. I didn't like where this was headed...

"He cares about the Shadows under his command. He doesn't want to lose any more of them. With his forces weakened, he might be open to compromise ," said Sailor Uranus.

"Compromise?!" If any of the Sailor Scouts were thinking of compromising, these were the last two I expected to raise the option."They came to your house looking for Sailor Saturn!" I told them.

"We know. He thinks that shortly before Queen Beryl destroyed the Palace, Queen Serenity fashioned a bracer that could restrain a Sailor Scout's powers the same way that your bracer restrains yours. If there is a way...she might finally have some semblance of a normal life. He told us there was still a place for the Sailor Scouts in the new Kingdom," said Sailor Uranus. _This has to be a trick_, I thought. _They can't seriously believe him. But there is a point to what he told them..._

"The Spymaster said that Sailor Moon might be useful to him later. After all that talk about how you guys are using me, he wants her as his puppet!" I realized.

Uranus' eyes narrowed. "You would have gone a lot farther if you were still the Spymaster, Charon."

I threw my arms up in the air and shouted "Of course I'm still the bad guy! But what happens to everyone who isn't a Sailor Scout? Like Raye's grandpa? Amy's mom? Serena's parents?"

The two Scouts turned away from each other. I thought it might be a sign they really didn't believe what they were saying, or were at least unsure. "Maybe a new start wouldn't be such a bad thing, Charon," said Sailor Uranus. "You have to admit, there's a lot of messed up things in this world. There's only so much we can change as Sailor Scouts."

Sailor Neptune leaned over to one side. "Luna Ball!"

Luna Ball once again turned into a sphere of light blue energy to reveal Trista, Raye and Rini watching from inside my hideout. "We heard everything you just said!" shouted Trista.

"I can't believe you two would abandon Hotaru!" Rini's voice cried.

"We're not abandoning her!" cried Sailor Neptune. "Things in the future can stay exactly the same if we just go along with his plans!"

"He didn't offer to make peace! He threatened us if we interfered with his plans," shot back Raye. "Even if he keeps his word, we'll all be living in fear! Did you forget what we stand for?"

"It's easy for you to keep riding on your high horse, Sailor Mars!" shot back Sailor Uranus. "We stayed vigilant while the rest of you put your duties on hold for your personal lives!"

I barely heard him, but I turned around just as a Shadow teleported behind me. I punched him in the stomach, flipped him onto his back, and stuck him with dark energy. Another Shadow appeared to take his place behind me as my would-be attacker shuddered like he had been hit with a stun-gun...though he wouldn't stay down for long. Uranus and Neptune just stood there and watched.

"Looks like you've picked your side," I said to the traitorous Sailor Scouts.

"We knew you would come for them, Turncoat!" the Shadow taunted. My senses reached out...like echoes, I heard their footsteps patter through the halls, lying in wait for me to leave the room.

"You can't fight your way out on your own. And you can't attack Sailor Scouts as long as you're wearing the bracer," recalled Sailor Uranus.

"If you surrender, we can protect you, Charon," offered Sailor Neptune. I knew she didn't believe that...I threw a ball of magically-charged smoke in the direction of the Shadow blocking the hall. I charged him, grabbed his wrist, and flipped him over my back and off the railing. I jumped over the handrail and ran back towards the courtyard. A Shadow was perched on the balcony above me when I barged through the door. I sensed him about to come down down on top of me, so I teleported out of his way and spun him into the wall headfirst, knocking him out. With few hiding options, I hid in the plant life as a pair of guards decked in silver armor and two Shadows ran past. Uranus and Neptune appeared later with two others as I began low-crawling away from the center.

"He disappeared!" exclaimed Sailor Neptune.

"What did you expect him to do? Stand in the middle of the hallway and give an opening speech?" quipped Sailor Uranus. Neptune rolled her eyes at her partner.

"You two guard the exit," the Shadow in charge sneered to the Sailor Scouts. Her robes were adorned in silver and gold, like the previous Commander. I recognized her voice; it was the same Shadow we had spared twice! _Next time I get a chance, you're finished, _I thought to myself.

"What makes you think you can order us around?" Sailor Uranus snapped back. Whatever arrangement they had made with the Spymaster, it was clear they still didn't get along with the others.

The new Commander stood an inch away from Uranus' face. "Has the Spymaster shown you his sickle yet? I'll reenact what he did to Sailor Moon's pet if you don't help us find him!" she smirked. Uranus and Neptune glared back, but ultimately complied and left.

I sneaked closer towards the pillars, trying to make as little noise as possible as I crawled on the ground with Luna-P closely following. I opened my communicator and whispered, "is anyone there?"

"Logan, we heard everything too," said Darien. "I found a way up to the courtyard, the others are on their way."

"Find him! NOW!" the Commander screamed to at least two robed figures. One ran in Uranus and Neptune's direction, the other started combing the grounds in my direction. I heard a few doors open above me; they were checking the upper floor as well.

"Can you see how many there are?" I asked him.

"Hmm...four Shadows and three of those guards. Only two of them are searching the garden, the rest went to the second floor," said Darien.

"I can pick them off one by one," I said. Hopefully, the Sailor Scouts would get here before the Shadows I subdued woke up. "If I can draw Uranus and Neptune away from the exit, we can get out on our own."

"They never saw eye-to-eye with Sailor Moon and the others, but I thought they were still on our side," he whispered.

I looked up at the balcony above. I could hear the figures combing the garden getting closer to where I was hiding. "I need you to tell me when I'm clear."

"Can't you just teleport up their?" he asked.

"Too high. They knew what they were doing when they designed this place," I answered back. My eye caught one Shadow farther ahead of the other, so I crawled towards the right until I was directly in front of him. He must have sensed something just as he walked over my legs, but I quickly wrapped them around his right leg and tripped him. I lifted his head and slammed it into the ground again to make sure he was out.

"Go!" whispered Darien. I climbed up the pillar and watched the Shadow combing the grounds behind me; it was the new Commander, but she was looking off to the side. The door I opened in front of me led to a hall with several rooms - perfect for ambushes.

"Can you lead them in, Darien?" I asked. I heard the Shadow Commander scream that I was in the halls as Darien ran in through the other side. I heard the two Shadows upstairs give up their search of the rooms and hastily charge outside towards the way I came in. I hid in the door closest to the hallway entrance,. After they charged in, I charged out and tackled the closest Shadow, kneed him in the stomach, and threw him into the wall. The second Shadow charged his hand with dark magic, but Darien threw a rose at his arm. The distraction was enough for me to get him in a sleeper hold and subdue him. One of the silver-armored guards appeared behind Darien, but Darien pulled out his cane and struck the figure square in the chest, sending the guard to the ground.

"Logan, it's Molly!" exclaimed Darien. Looking over the figure, I realized he was right: it was the brownish-red-haired girl in the photos.

"Hide her! There's only one Shadow still conscious!" I urged him. But when I ran to the balcony, I saw dark energy swirling around her like a fog around a city. The last guard standing pulled out a sword pulsating blue energy, like the one Beryl's troops had used.

"You think sparing me was a kindness, Turncoat?" she screeched. "You shamed us!"

"Luna Ball, distract her!" I cried out as the Shadow's eyes started glowing red. She was transforming, like the Shadow in the arcade and the previous Commander did. The last thing we needed right now was a dark magic dragon, land kraken, or any other monster to deal with. Luna Ball flew forward and burst like a water balloon, interrupting her transformation sequence and stunning her. I charged forward and threw magically-charged smoke in her face to keep her distracted as I charged the guard. I easily dodged his clumsy swing, wrapped my arm around his and elbowed him in the back of the head. I grabbed his sword and threw it at the Shadow Commander. She screamed in pain as it flew into her shoulder. I charged both my hands with all the dark energy I could muster and flew into her, sending her to the ground.

"Did you get the same lecture on pride?" I asked as she convulsed and twitched. "You underestimated me," I taunted before she passed out. I ripped away a pendant in the shape of a full moon hanging around her neck. _A transformation pendant, _I suddenly remembered.

"Uranus World Shaking!" I heard Amara shout. I barely jumped out of the way in time. I thought she had turned against the Commander, but the ball of energy didn't even come close to hitting her. It was directed towards me.

"Uranus! Darien is here with Molly, and the others will be here soon! Just let us walk out of here!" I pleaded from behind one of the pillars. "You're not traitors!" But Sailor Uranus was about to charge another attack when I heard a pair of footsteps fall to the second floor just above me. I saw bubbles fly in Sailor Uranus' direction. She jumped out of the way, but the bubbles turned into streaks of blue light and flew towards Uranus. The streaks turned into a wave that smashed Uranus against the pillar directly across from me.

"Leave him alone!" Sailor Mercury's voice shouted. She jumped down to the courtyard, followed by Sailor Moon.

"Sorry it took us a while to get here," Sailor Moon apologized when I slipped from cover. "We ran into some guards, and then it took us a while to climb up."

"One of us took longer than the others," added Sailor Mercury. _Three guesses who, _I thought.

"Sailor Moon! Mercury!" Sailor Neptune left her position at the main entrance to investigate. Sailor Venus jumped from the balcony above her and wrapped her love chain around the green-haired traitor. Sailor Jupiter jumped down after her.

"Serena, I can explain - " began Sailor Uranus. At first, I thought Sailor Moon raised her hand in the air to motion her to be quiet, but then it came down hard across Sailor Uranus' face.

"You should have yelled 'Sailor Slap'!" taunted Vigil's voice from Luna-P.

"Not the time, Vigil," I whispered back.

I caught a glimpse of rage burning in Sailor Moon's eyes, something I never would have expected to see in Serena's. Sailor Moon turned her head back towards Sailor Uranus. "I already heard your explanation! You're the real Turncoats!" shouted Sailor Moon. I watched her remove her tiara...

"I really thought there was a chance for peace, Serena! The Shadows aren't like the enemies we faced from the Negaverse! But I see that the others are different from the Spymaster!" pleaded Sailor Uranus.

"We realized we made a mistake listening to the Spymaster before, but we had to help them capture Charon to keep our cover! This is our best chance to find out what they're planning!" added Sailor Neptune. But Sailor Moon said nothing as she clutched her tiara while the others continued glaring. I wondered if she was about to execute Sailor Uranus and Neptune...

"Serena," I called gently to her. "I don't think they were going to betray you. You don't have to do this," I said.

"They almost killed you. Again," Sailor Moon answered without looking at me. "They won't listen to us, and they don't respect me as a leader."

"Of course we do! You're the Princess of the Moon! We might not always agree, but we respect your decisions! And it's clear you don't want us cooperating with the Spymaster!" said Sailor Uranus.

"He trusts us. We'll find a way to keep him off your backs until we find out what his plans are for Hotaru. Then we'll help you stop them, we promise!" offered Sailor Neptune.

Darien appeared from the second floor, holding Molly in his arms. "Please, Sailor Moon. Give them a chance to redeem themselves."

Sailor Moon turned her head slightly in my direction. Unsure if she could see me, I nodded anyway. "You're lucky that Logan trusts you." I saw Uranus breathe a sigh of relief as Sailor Moon placed her tiara back on her head. "But if you try to hurt Logan, or any of us, you're dead to me," she threatened.

Sailor Jupiter stayed behind to survey the damage Uranus' attack caused as the rest of us left for the main entrance. "Good luck explaining this," she sighed before she ran to catch up with us.

I came up alongside Sailor Moon. "Hey, are you OK?" I asked her.

"I was just about to ask you," she said as she turned to face me. The anger had vanished, but I knew she was still hurt. "You've proven that I can trust you over and over again, but it still took me a while. This isn't the first time they've stepped out of bounds, but I still trusted them," she confessed.

"I think they mean well, they just don't always go about it the right way," I said.

Sailor Jupiter mumbled "that's an understatement."

"Appearances can be deceiving, right?" added Sailor Venus.

"Mina! It's - wait, that's right. Sorry, I got used to automatically correcting you," apologized Sailor Mercury.

"I'm glad you trust me now. And I need to trust you won't throw me out, like the Spymaster said," I told Serena.

"Never," Sailor Moon finally smiled. "Molly! How is she?" she called out when Darien joined us.

"She's OK! She's still out from - " Darien paused when Sailor Moon stared at me. "Actually it was me," he admitted. "I can take her someplace safe."

"I know they didn't give you guys much of a choice back there," acknowledged Sailor as we all marched back into the bitter cold, hoping not to run into Henry or any Shadows returning. "We should stay together tonight. It's gonna be a tight fit."

"Don't worry about space, the Spymaster loved his secret rooms," quipped Vigil over Sailor Mercury's communicator.

"I'd better take another look at your wound before we turn in, Logan," said Sailor Mercury. "My mom's shift at the hospital is over, but we can't ignore put it off until morning."

"I feel fine. I was able to fight, no problem. But yeah, another look won't hurt," I admitted.

"You did well tonight, Logan. Those Shadows are going to be embarrassed when they wake up," added Sailor Jupiter. _I wonder what the Spymaster will do to them when he finds out_, I wondered. "Though if Uranus and Neptune change their minds again, that bracer's going to be a problem," she noted.

"Right - you can't attack any of us while you're wearing it, traitor or not," said Sailor Venus. "I hope it has adjustable settings. No way we're cutting him open and filling him with Dark Shards."

"We'll talk to Luna and Artemis about it later," suggested Mercury. "Vigil said there's a tunnel entrance near where you parked."

"You know, you shouldn't leave Amara and Michelle's car here," Sailor Jupiter suggested to Venus. "Why don't you take Logan for a spin? We'll bring the rest of the supplies inside and get everything ready."

"Artemis goes with you," Mina insisted. We made our way back up the hill. Sailor Moon and the others brushed snow off their boxes and bags of food and other supplies before directing me to another tunnel leading to my hideout. I slid back down the hill again and quickly found another tree with a crescent moon etched into it. I opened it for the others and Sailor Moon said she would see us in a couple hours. I noticed her wink at Venus before she tugged me back up the hill towards the car.

"I heard Uranus mention the Negaverse?" I asked Sailor Venus.

"It was the universe that Queen Beryl once ruled," she answered as she climbed in the car and put the keys in the ignition.

"Negaverse...that's a stupid name," I commented.

"Oh yeah? What would you have called it?" she asked when she started the car.

"I dunno, the Dark Kingdom?" I answered back.

Mina smirked. "Real original! You do suck at coming up with names!" she teased. She laughed when I stuck my tongue out at her. Everything after that became a blur...

* * *

"Lo-gan! Wake up, sleepyhead!" I winced when Venus started tickling my side.

I groaned in response. "Did I fall asleep?"

"Yup! Don't worry, I was watching you the whole time - er, I mean I was watching out for you!" she grinned uncomfortably. "You looked like you could use a nap."

"I'm sure I'm not the only one," I said to her.

She nodded, but she looked peppy as usual. "Come on, the others are waiting for us," she chimed as we got out of the car. It was pitch black outside and the snow was still coming down. Conveniently, the lot where Mina was parked held another secret tunnel entrance, this time next to an old power transformer. I looked around to make sure there was nobody watching before I opened the door.

"Have any interesting dreams?" Venus asked as we jumped down.

"Not this time," I said with some relief. "I did before though - I met you my first day in the Moon Kingdom."

"You did?" Mina asked excitedly.

I nodded. "You were ice skating on the lake. You brought me to meet Queen Serenity."

"I wish I remembered that," she wished.

"I'm kind of glad you don't, I embarrassed myself a bit," I admitted. She smiled back. It was close to midnight when Sailor Venus and I reached the end of the tunnel. "Vigil, why aren't the lights on? Don't tell me someone's been billing me for electricity the last thousand years."

Vigil's hologram didn't appear in the terminal. Serena exited one of the rooms, wearing a jean jacket over a pink shirt. "Everyone's gathered in the dining...er, cave. We fixed this place up a bit, but I wish my mother had given you a bigger budget," said Serena.

"I get the feeling that Queen Serenity saved the best stuff for the Sailor Scouts," I taunted and lifted my sleeve to show my hand-me-down communicator. "I guess we need to talk about Uranus and Neptune," I remarked.

"We'll get to that," said Serena. The darkness helped hide her face from me, but I noticed she was avoiding eye contact. "Logan, I found out there's something else that you haven't told us about yourself."

I felt a lump forming in my throat. My eyes were glued on Serena, looking at her face for any hints as to what this interrogation was about, but she was doing an uncharacteristically good job at hiding her feelings. "Just ask me, then. What do you want to know?" I asked.

"Something very important is going to happen in a couple of minutes. Vigil told us, and Amy confirmed it. I said I trust you, but it's hard for me to believe you'd just forget. " she chastised.

I was completely stumped. "I...I don't know what he's talking about," I said.

"Logan," she said my name more firmly, "this is something you knew long before we met."

Now I was even more confused. "Serena, if this has anything to do with the Shadows or Silver Millennium, I don't know any more than you! I just have a few pieces from that dream that didn't make sense!"

"Serena, you're scaring him!" said Sailor Venus. Her words were serious, but I noticed her voice quiver as if she was trying to keep herself from laughing.

"I had to make sure you weren't holding out on us..." I saw the corners of Serena's mouth lift as a smile crept on her face. "Because no matter what, we're still celebrating."

"Celebrating?" I asked. Before that word had finished leaving my lips, the hidout suddenly lit up. I saw all the other Sailor Scouts (minus Uranus and Neptune of course) and Guardian Cats gathered in the back room. The were mischievously smiling and laughing after witnessing the whole scene. Only when I saw them all together did I realize that I hadn't been keeping count of the days. Then they all shouted in unison:

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOGAN!"

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! My longest chapter so far...I wanted to have that little 'twist' at the end to lighten things up. I would've liked to go more into Logan's party but this was the best spot to end it. The good news is that means I know where to start the next one! Thanks for the reviews and support!


	27. Chapter 27: The Coming Harvest

**Chapter 27: The Coming Harvest**

Serena laughed while Mina wrapped her arms around my back. "I'm sorry! I didn't want to spoil the surprise!" Mina whispered while everyone else cheered. My face turned bright red when she planted a kiss on my cheek. That made two welcome surprises...

"Admit it, I'm a good actress!" Serena teased. I was relieved to see that Serena was wearing the locket that she had left behind at the Temple earlier.

"Yeah, yeah. You got me, jerk," I teased her back. Serena laughed, came forward and gave me a hug too. Darien came forward and extended his hand.

"Happy birthday, man!" he smiled. The friendly and easy-going Darien that I met my first night in Tokyo had returned, replacing the jealous and insecure version that I had become accustomed to. But that wasn't enough for Serena...

"Darien!" Serena playfully slapped his arm away before I could shake his hand. "It's your new best friend's birthday! You can give him a hug, you know!"

His face wrinkled with discomfort at the idea, so I said, "you don't need to do that."

His smile came back. "See? He only wants hugs from beautiful women!" he teased. Well, he was mostly teasing.

"Oh, you two!" sighed Serena. "I remember when Logan first joined us. You were so excited to have another guy to hang out with!"

Mina gasped. "That gives me an idea!"

"Oh no! One of Mina's ideas!" cried Artemis.

"How about a double date with Serena and Darien tonight? If it's OK with you two, of course!" Mina practically shouted in my ear. The thought of going on a 'real', planned date with Mina was scary enough: having Serena and Darien watching us too made the idea even more terrifying. But I had the feeling that unless I wanted to be single again, she wasn't really giving me the option of saying 'no'...

"We certainly are, Venus!" Serena beamed and swung her arm around Darien's. "Relationship guru Serena and Prince Charming at your service! We'll be happy to share our secrets to eternal bliss and happiness!"

Yet again, an awkward silence hung over the room. "It might be wise for us to limit our time outside this base. Our enemies are still watching us," Luna advised.

"Don't be a party pooper, Luna! Let's have one night of fun!" exclaimed Lita.

Raye leaned over and placed her hand over her mouth to whisper into Lita's ear. "Do the words 'double date with Serena and Mina' set off any alarms?" Raye asked.

Lita glanced at Raye for a moment in thought before her green eyes widened. "Oh..." Lita groaned as if she had just watched me and Darien get kicked in the nuts. She must have seen any remaining enthusiasm drain away from my face because she tried to change the subject. "Good thing you fell asleep, I was able to bake you a cake!"

Hotaru ran forward and grabbed my hand while Lita went behind the others. "Rini and I decorated! Raye and Trista helped too! Do you like it?" She dragged me into the main cave; with the lights on, I could see the multi-colored balloons and the words 'Happy Birthday' strewn across.

"They were the best we could find," admitted Rini when I saw the handful of rickety-looking, blackened chairs for us to sit in and the makeshift stretcher they were using as a table. Besides Hotaru and maybe Trista, nobody else looked thrilled to be in my cave. At least it was warm and dry in here.

"Of course I like them, thank you!" I said to Hotaru and let go of the excited child's hand. I walked over to Rini and turned back to Luna Ball. "Thanks for loaning her to me, Rini. She was helpful," I said. Luna Ball flew towards Rini and resumed hovering over her friend.

"Guys, can we please start on the cake already?! I'm starving!" complained Serena.

"Of course you are! You have two modes: hungry and sleepy!" I teased...though my growling stomach betrayed me. The square white-frosted cake that Lita baked was practically screaming at me to blow out the candles and eat it already.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!" Rini and Hotaru started singing off-key. The others laughed and joined in singing the rest: "happy birthday dear Logan! Happy birthday to you!" Everyone clapped when I blew out the candles and grabbed a knife to start cutting it.

"How old are you now?" Trista began mockingly singing. Even she managed to crack a smile...I could tell by her tight, forced grin that she wasn't used to smiling, but I didn't say anything since she was trying to be nice now.

"It took him a day to tell us his name! It'll be at least a week before he tells us his age!" Darien teased. I saw Luna hop off Serena's lap and leave the room.

My taste buds exploded after a bite of Lita's cake as we sat around the room. "This is the best cake I've ever had Lita, thank you," I said. I heard a couple 'mmm' sounds in agreement.

"Is there anything you want for your birthday, Logan?" Amy asked me.

I shook my head. "You guys don't have to get me anything else. It means a lot that you guys did all this for me."

"But we're still getting you a present for your birthday. Duh!" teased Rini.

"I already started making you something!" proclaimed Mina.

"You're...um...making him something, Mina?" Amy asked nervously. She made it sound like the thought of Mina making something was the only thing scarier than her double date idea.

"Do you want me to help you, Mina?" Lita followed suit. She also tried to phrase her question as an innocent inquiry, but her voice shook with concern as she asked.

"No thanks! I got this, Lita!" Mina sounded a bit defiant before she turned back to me and smiled. "I'll give it to you tonight!"

"To tell you the truth, I'd be happy with another kiss," I said. She leaned over and gave me another on the cheek, sending butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. I saw Hotaru turn away, stick out her tongue and go 'ewww!' She was still at the age where girls thought boys were icky.

"Oh wait, I have a shift later!" realized Serena. "But at least it's payday, which means I'll have a present for you too!" Serena brightened up.

In Luna's absence, Raye took it upon herself to chastise Serena. "You're not seriously thinking about going back there, are you?" she asked. "That restaurant is cursed!"

"Please, just come home Serena!" cried Rini. "We miss you!"

A mischievous smirk poppet onto Serena's face. "Who's WE, Rini?"

Rini looked down at her half-eaten slice of cake. "You know - your mom and dad, even your brother!" she said more reservedly.

"The word 'we' includes 'you', you know!" teased Serena. Rini's face scrunched up and turned away from Serena.

"Come on," I said to Rini, "my birthday wish was for you and Serena to become best friends!"

Serena and Rini squinted and frowned at me. "Seriously?" asked Serena.

"You wasted your wish on that?" added Rini.

"Of course not. I wished for a ride on a unicorn," I joked. But Serena gave Rini a very serious look.

"Rini might be able to help you with that..." said Serena. _Rini knows a real unicorn? That is SO badass! _I thought.

"I don't know if he'd be OK with that. I haven't seen Pegasus in such a long time," Rini answered sadly.

"I'm sure he'll visit you again, Small Lady," comforted Trista. "Alright Hotaru, it's time for me to tuck you in." I saw Hotaru clutch her empty plate and start yawning, but she waved at me as Trista carried her off to bed.

"Now that they're gone, I have to ask," chimed Vigil's voice, "are we saving Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune any cake?"

Serena and I exchanged unsure glances. "I think there has to be some kind of punishment for what they did," I teased.

Serena smiled. "I completely agree!" she snatched another slice of cake off the table.

"Uh, Serena," called Amy, "I didn't want to say anything before, but your Scout clothes are starting to look tight on you." Serena stopped halfway through her second slice of cake and glared at Amy.

"The great American college diet will do that," I said.

Rini yawned and stood out of her rickety chair. "See you all in the morning. Happy birthday Logan," she said sleepily and rubbed her eyes as she left.

"Too bad everyone's tired. I had ideas for some games!" said Mina.

"Maybe later, Mina," said Amy. "Logan, I'd better take a look at your wound before we turn in for the night."

"I'll go check on Luna and Molly, Princess," Darien also stood up and kissed Serena on the forehead.

"How is she?" I asked Darien.

"Last I saw, she was still sleeping. Luna's keeping an eye on her. I'll take her somewhere safe when you and Amy go to the hospital. Hopefully, we'll find Melvin too," said Darien.

Amy motioned for me to head outside with her while the other girls stayed and chatted, with Luna and Artemis staying with them. We returned to the medical room where I had laid Princess Serenity down. Reaching for a medical kit laying off to the side, Amy lifted up my blue civilian shirt - which was still ripped and stained with blood - and pulled out a bottle.

"This is going to sting," she warned. She was right - when she poured liquid on my wound, it burned. Compared to everything I'd experienced the past four days though, it was almost a nice change of pace.

"Hotaru did a good job of healing it. When we take you to see my mother in the morning, we don't have to tell her you got stabbed," Amy suggested. "Not that I like lying to her," she added. Amy pulled out a clean bandage and applied it to my side. "Logan, I need to warn you...when Sailor Saturn returns, Hotaru might become...different, towards you."

"You mean she might try to kill me?" I asked.

"I hope not. I doubt she encountered you in the past and hopefully she'll remember you were her friend. I just don't want you to feel hurt," she said. "There, you're all set for now."

Raye knocked on the wall behind us. "Hey, Logan...I know you and Amy are going to the hospital tomorrow. While you guys are there, I want to go to the Temple and tend to the Great Fire."

Amy and I exchanged looks. "I don't like the thought of leaving you there on your own," I said.

Raye crossed her arms. "You know how important it is to me," insisted Raye. Like Mina, I could tell she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

After some thought, I answered, "all right, I'll open the passage for you in the morning. Just...I'd feel easier about it if there was someone with you."

Raye nodded. "Thanks Logan."

"Hey," I called out before she turned and walked away. "Did you tell the others about what happened earlier?" I asked Raye.

"We did. We told them you did what you had to do to keep us and Hotaru safe," said Raye. Amy nodded in agreement.

"There's one other thing." I pulled out the full moon pendant that I had taken from the Shadow Commander earlier. "I think it's a transformation locket."

Amy reached for the pendant, lowered her visor, and scanned it using her computer. "Unlike most Shadow artifacts, this originated from Earth. There are markings on the back," she explained as she turned it over. I saw what looked like worn hieroglyphics etched into the back. "Do you mind if I hold on to this for the night? I'd like to take a closer look at it, if you don't mind," she asked nervously.

"I understand if you want to hold on to it so I don't turn into a three-headed, fire-breathing dragon," I teased.

Amy smiled back. "We trust you now, remember? I just want to examine it with Vigil, Luna and Artemis to make sure it's safe for you to use it. And if it does turn you into a three-headed dragon, try to give us a heads-up," she teased back. She packed up her medical kit and said goodnight. I meant to get up and check on the others, but my eyelids felt heavy. I decided to close my eyes. Just for a few minutes...

* * *

_"Leave me alone!" _I heard Hotaru's voice echo as she screamed. When my eyes opened, I found myself perched on a second floor balcony wearing Shadow robes. The room's layout was similar to the Palace courtyard, but the walls and balconies appeared more crystalline in appearance and were draped in purple. _Titan Castle: Princess Saturn's palace, _the thought occurred to me. A girl with short purple-black hair ran out from under me. She was wearing an elegant purple dress and desperately pushed against the massive door in front of her to no avail. I felt myself jump off the balcony and land on the ground behind her. When she turned around, I saw Hotaru's face, though she looked like she was slightly older.

_"Sailor Saturn. I admit, you don't look like a mass murderer." _My words pierced the poor girl like a cold knife. It was my voice, but my tone mimicked the Spymaster's enough to send chills down my own spine. She screamed and her distinct purple eyes widened in terror when she faced me. I realized that once again, I had no control over anything I said or did.

_"There is no Sailor Saturn! Please, just leave! I won't tell anyone you were here, I promise!"_ she begged.

_"Liar! Your powers haven't fully manifested yet!"_ I snapped back. She abruptly halted pushing against the door to jump out of the way just as I charged her in a full sprint. I heard her running into a room on my right after I recovered from tackling the door. She closed the door, but when I kicked it down, she rushed towards me holding what looked like a black fireplace poker. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her opposite shoulder in towards me so the pointed edge of the poker faced away. She screamed when I kicked her in the back of her thigh.

All I could do was watch myself attack the poor girl. It really wasn't a fair fight. I wanted to scream for him...for me...to stop, that he didn't understand. But the words came out as mere thoughts. I saw Sailor Saturn's symbol - shaped like a lowercase h - glowing purple on her forehead when I turned her around to face me again. She screamed when I charged my hand with dark magic and pressed down on her forehead.

_"Is this how far you've fallen, Charon? Terrorizing a defenseless girl?"_ I finally let the poor girl go as I confronted the voice behind me. It was Queen Serenity herself standing there, still dressed in white and carrying a pink rod. But her face was taut like a stone, just as it was when she confronted Henry.

_"She's not defenseless, just like the other girls you hide behind! But you're alone! Couldn't risk them finding out the truth, too?"_ I snapped back. I heard a slight clank and turned just in time to witness Princess Saturn ramming her makeshift weapon into my side...

I screamed in pain when I woke up. The side that the Spymaster had pierced with his blade was hurting again. I hoped that what I just saw was a dream, not a memory. If it was a memory and Hotaru didn't want to be my friend when Sailor Saturn returned, I wouldn't blame her...

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**A/N: **I've been looking forward to writing this chapter! I hope Logan's party scene was a nice moment of bonding and a glimpse of lighter moments to come - I wanted to show that they're all trying to put their trust issues behind them.

I hope you enjoyed the flashback scene at the end, too. I had many different ideas, but Charon's reaction to discovering Sailor Saturn finally came together in this chapter...provided I don't pull another switcheroo and say it was just a dream :P Hopefully you're not confused as to the order that events in his past life are happening. Like in the anime, his flashbacks aren't in chronological order. At a certain point in the story, I hope to summarize Charon's past so it'll all make sense if there's any doubt.

How close are we to the end? Hmm, I have had to split up a lot of my chapters in two or more, so it's hard to say. But I have ideas for where we'll go all the way to the end.

Thanks for reading! I'm always looking forward to your reviews and feedback, good or bad! A special thank you goes out to all of you who have favorited, followed, and reviewed my story so far! Hope I'll hear from more of you!


	28. Chapter 28: Charon's Past Revisited

**Chapter 28: Charon's Past Revisited**

A shining light blinded me as I sat up. "The time for my return draws near," a young woman's voice called to me. Her glowing figure came into focus as my eyes recovered. She was transparent, like the people in my hallucination of the Moon Palace, but she glowed with a purple hue. She was dressed as a Sailor Scout, with a purple and white uniform and laced-up purple boots. Unlike the others, she carried an intimidating bladed polearm weapon.

I froze in terror when I looked into her face and saw a teenage Hotaru wearing the golden tiara."S-Sailor Sat-turn..."

But Sailor Saturn smiled and her eyes filled with affection. "I have not come for revenge. I have been watching you. You were kind to Hotaru and helped keep her safe."

Her words were meant to comfort me, but they confirmed that I really had attacked Princess Saturn. "I tried to hurt her a thousand years ago. I betrayed Queen Serenity," I admitted.

"You have only seen fragments of your past. Soon I will restore Hotaru's memories. I have come to restore yours." I notice Sailor Saturn raise her left arm and point at me. A white magical orb grew around her finger.

I instinctively leaned away as she approached me. If I had more memories of betraying my friends, I didn't want them. "You are afraid," she noticed. "You cannot doubt yourself now. The Scouts need you. Close your eyes," she ordered. "And remember..."

* * *

"Queen Serenity, your guests have arrived." Princess Venus' voice welcomed me back to the Moon Palace, before the fall of Silver Millennium. Once again, I stood beside the future Spymaster and my nemesis, 'Henry'. Unlike before, the figures were not transparent and their voices did not echo...these really were my memories. Once again though, I could only watch the events unfold through my own eyes.

Queen Serenity, a magnificent sight in her regal white dress, stood in front of a silver throne with her back facing us. I felt the Spymaster's cold hand press against the back of my neck as he pushed me into a bowing position. My heart raced when Serenity turned to face me again. "I am honored to welcome you to the Palace, young one. Thank you, Princess," she replied gracefully.

Princess Venus bowed to her, then turned towards me and Henry. "It was my pleasure to meet you both."

"You too." I could feel myself pushing the words out. I half expected the future Spymaster to slap me on the back of the head.

Princess Venus smiled. I shyly looked away when she focused her brilliant blue eyes on me. "I hope you'll tell me your name next time," she said with a wink. I felt my eyes look up and follow her as she walked away from us.

The Spymaster and I both stood before Queen Serenity wearing plain gray robes, devoid of the crescent moons or other Shadow symbols. "She's growing into a fine young woman, isn't she? A good role model for my daughter," commented Queen Serenity. I heard the Spymaster whispering an order for me to look at her.

"She is, your highness." She smiled at my answer, but a puzzled look fell on her face when I asked, "did you know my father?"

"Your father said he was from here?" She was facing the Spymaster instead of me when she asked.

"He told me stories about how wonderful Silver Millennium was. I never understood why he left." I felt my younger self fighting to suppress tears. "That's why they killed him."

"Who?" Her previously calm and measured voice was now filled with alarm.

"Soldiers! They served..."

"Queen Beryl." The Spymaster finished my sentence. "The situation on Earth is far worse than we feared, your highness."

"I was there," I sobbed. Queen Serenity walked to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to shudder. "They said my mother was a traitor and she had to kill him, or they would kill us both. Then they separated us..." my voice trailed off.

"Do you know where they took her?" Queen Serenity asked me. I shook my head. She turned her attention to the Spymaster. "Did you know about this?" she asked.

"I did, Queen Serenity. When I told you I found a potential inside source, I considered his background irrelevant - "

"YOU THOUGHT HIS FATHER'S MURDER WAS IRRELEVANT?!" Queen Serenity shouted. "I can't send him back there!"

I looked up in terror at the Spymaster. "You said you would take me away from there!"

"And I kept my word!" the Spymaster snapped back. "Queen Beryl has been hunting our informants while turning the forces of Earth against us! The same soldiers who killed your father and imprisoned you are loyal to her."

"What do you need me for?" I asked.

"In the fortress where I rescued you, there is a powerful Warlock serving Queen Beryl. We need you to steal something from him. You've had far less exposure to the energies of the Silver Crystal. It will be harder for them to detect you," Henry explained.

"We'll find another way! I will urge the royalty of Earth to take action!" insisted Queen Serenity.

"They will do nothing! They claim that Beryl rose to power out of nowhere, but they were simply oblivious to all the signs! If we do not act now, their forces will attack us here! They will burn this Palace to the ground and scatter our ashes!" shouted the Spymaster.

"I don't want her to destroy the Moon Kingdom," I said quietly as Queen Serenity opened her mouth to argue. "I'll help if I can."

Queen Serenity knelt down and looked into my eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked. I nodded and said, "I don't want them to kill anyone else, like they killed my father."

"My cover has already been blown. We can use that to our advantage, Queen Serenity. He can bring me back to the Warlock's fortress as his prisoner. There, we will find the Warlock's bracer and bring it here." After explaining his plan to Queen Serenity, the Spymaster turned to me. "The Warlock is developing a magical bracer that helps the wearer master dark magic in days instead of years. It's a crude device, but if Beryl equips an entire army with these bracers, we will have no chance. We need to put an end to the Warlock's research."

"Give him as much training as you can before you return him to the fortress. I want him back here safe," Queen Serenity commanded the Spymaster. Queen Serenity went back to her throne and returned holding the same locket that I would later give to Serena. She lifted it over my head and placed it around my neck. "You have an incredible heart. I want you to have this locket as a reminder: there will be a home for you here once peace is assured.

A wide smile stretched across my face. "Thank you, your majesty."

"The only thing left to decide is what to call you, in case you run into Princess Venus again," she teased. After pondering for a moment, she pointed her finger in the air. "I know! Charon!"

I turned to the Spymaster and said, "you never told me your name."

"Because you don't need to know," he answered coldly.

Queen Serenity laughed. "He was always paranoid, Charon. With our agents being hunted, I suppose we can't be too careful. He will train you well." Queen Serenity's smile dropped from her face and she turned to the Spymaster. "Could I speak to you privately?" she asked him.

"Wait outside," he ordered...

* * *

After several minutes standing alongside the silver-armored guards who stood in front of the Queen's chambers, the future Spymaster emerged from the door to the throne. I looked around for Princess Venus, but sadly I didn't see her before we left. When we returned to Earth, I did not ask him any more personal questions and he did not waste any spare time instructing me. With only a dilapidated wooden house for shelter, he taught me the basics of stealth: how to move while making as little sound as possible and how to exploit a person's blind spots. He tried to teach me to climb through trees, but I lost my grip and fell constantly. He also tried to teach me hand-to-hand, but every exercise ended with him landing a successful blow or throwing me to the floor.

After a few hours of training and a meager meal of tea and leaves, he whispered it was time. He allowed me to hit him several times to make it look like there had been a struggle, but he ended up throwing himself into trees to make his bruises look more convincing. Then I tied him up and led him through the dark forest to the obsidian fortress I had been held for one week. Its black towers spiraled upwards at an angle, like swords pointed at the moon. Inside, their goal was to indoctrinate their captives to serve Queen Beryl and hate the Moon Kingdom. They never told us why we were supposed to hate them, yet most of their captives came to believe they did eventually.

Two soldiers wearing light green armor stopped me in front of the fortress. I was not sure if they were shocked to see I had subdued one of Queen Serenity's spies, or if they were shocked I had returned. Either way, they opened the gates and escorted me through the bleak black halls, full of miserable subjects wearing robes and armor, until I found myself face-to-face with the Warlock. I had seen him walking through lines of prisoners, drawing glee from our misery. His menacing yellow eyes widened with surprise at my return. I thought my face would be easily lost among the dozens of captives here. Not anymore...

The Warlock's appearance was strikingly similar to the Shadows; his black and gray hooded robes were missing the crescent moons and a handful of small insignia. He carried an obsidian staff similar to Saturn's glaive, with a sharpened dark shard tip.

"I heard that someone had escaped!" I saw the Warlock's rotted yellow teeth as he spoke. "But you have returned...with a Lunarian spy!" The guards forced the battered Spymaster to his knees so that the Warlock could look him over like cattle. "I am looking for an apprentice. I planned to select the first inductee that gained enough prestige through deeds and favors...but you have already bested them all!"

"That's not fair! He wasn't part of the process!" A teenage boy screamed behind him. I glanced around the Warlock and saw five grizzled teenagers behind him wearing simple black cloaks and green armor. The Warlock vanished in a cloud of black smoke, appeared in front of the boy, and placed his hand around the defiant teenager's neck. As the boy gagged, the Warlock's hand simmered with a black-purple hue. The boy screamed in agony before he abruptly fell silent. I felt myself wince when the Warlock simply released his grip and let the body drop to the ground with a thud.

"Would anyone else like to challenge my decision?" he asked the remaining four teenagers. All of them backed away in terror. "Take them back to the pit," he ordered the two guards. The Warlock grabbed the Spymaster by the collar and dragged him towards his dungeon. I followed them into a dark and empty cell. The Warlock dropped the Spymaster onto the ground, then kneeled down to pull out one of the bricks in the ground. He pulled out a small wooden box and opened it to reveal a brown bracer.

"Put this on, my new apprentice" he ordered. It looked like it was made of worn leather. As I turned it in my hand, I could see the dark shard crudely shoved in. The bracer irritated my arm and was more uncomfortable to wear than the one that Luna would give me 1000 years later. I coughed and gagged as dark magic swirled around me: when the smoke cleared, I saw I was wearing the same robes as the Warlock himself.

"This prototype is my life's work, my apprentice. If we succeed, Queen Beryl will be able to raise an army of sorcerers and warlocks in weeks! The Moon Kingdom's stupid queen has horded the power of the Silver Crystal for herself and a select few. They will be powerless to stop us!" he declared. "Now, harness your inner pain and test your new powers on this Lunarian spy!"

The Spymaster started crawling on the ground away from us when I walked towards him and flipped him over. "Do what he says", he mouthed quietly. After a few seconds of concentration, I channeled dark energy to my hands and pressed against Henry's chest.

"Yes! Yes!" the Warlock screamed in delight as the Spymaster grimaced in pain. "But put more effort into it acolyte! Make him suffer as much as you have! Just like we will make Queen Serenity and her pompous court suffer!" he jeered.

Seeing that I understood how to use the bracer, the Spymaster nodded to me. I teleported behind the Warlock and struck him with the same attack. I caught the Warlock off guard, but he quickly recovered and swung his staff at me. I grabbed the his wrists and pushed him into the wall, but the Warlock headbutted me and grabbed my forehead.

"No crescent moon," he noted. I teleported away to strike him again, but he kept his guard up and elbowed me in the face, knocking me off balance. "But I sense something about you. Could it be?" I tackled him, grabbed his wrists again, and kicked him away with enough force to loosen his grip on the staff. The Spymaster leapt forward and took the Warlock's staff, although the Warlock brushed him aside like a pest.

"Surrender," I commanded. I stood before him with an orb of dark magic in my right hand, warning him to back down. The Warlock's dark shard-tipped staff glowed and I just barely managed to roll away from a dark magic sphere that blew a crater into the wall behind me.

The Warlock cackled like a maniac. "You're a half-breed! Do you think you'll be welcome in Silver Millennium? What did your companion promise you? A Palace? A date with a Sailor Scout? Did he tell you that the Moon is made out of cheese and you can eat to your heart's content?" he mocked. His laughter was silenced when the Spymaster slammed his staff into the back of the Warlock's head, then turned the pointed edge towards the Warlock's body on the floor and ran him through.

"Did you have to kill him?" I asked uncomfortably. The Spymaster let go of the staff and left it in the Warlock's body.

"Yes; now he will not be able to recreate the bracer for Queen Beryl. But I wonder..." Henry reached out towards my bracer and touched the dark stone inside. I saw the dark hunger swirling around in his eyes like a tornado. "If Queen Serenity is unwilling to commit to direct action, we can use their own magic against them."

"It sounds like that's her decision to make," I answered.

He snapped out of his trance and took his fingers off the dark shard. "We must leave quickly. I have an escape route." He raised his hand in the air when I began to unbuckle the bracer. "Keep it. You've earned it." His rare moment of praise was followed with a discomforting half-smile. I could tell he wasn't used to smiling either.

* * *

When we returned to the Palace gates, I felt myself reach down, grab a fistful of Moon Dust, and open my mouth. Here was one moment I really wished I could control myself during my flashbacks...

"What are you doing?" asked the Spymaster. I gagged when the dust landed on my tongue.

"The Moon does NOT taste like cheese." I bent over and spit the rest out of my mouth, only to see it landed disturbingly close to a pair of red high heels. I looked up to find a puzzled Sailor Mars wearing them and staring at me. At least I was sort of bowing...

"We didn't need a researcher to tell us that," she remarked. She examined me from top to bottom. "Does everyone on Earth dress like that?" she asked.

"Not everyone," I answered. "Have you been there?"

"No! Why would you ask me that?!" Sailor Mars fumed.

"I meant - I didn't - I'm sorry!" I babbled...though at the time, I didn't realize what was wrong with my question.

Sailor Mars' face softened. "I think Venus mentioned you earlier. She said you were a bit awkward. I'll let it go this time," she gently cautioned.

"I am the Queen's High Researcher on Earth, this is my new apprentice. He gets...enthusiastic about his work," explained the Spymaster. Now I had my official cover.

Mars crossed her arms and stared at me. "No wonder Venus is fond of you! Queen Serenity is waiting in the throne room." We found Queen Serenity gently stroking Luna's fur as the guardian cat lay across Serenity's lap. Henry and Mars bowed. This time, I remembered to bow with them. Luna leapt off of Queen Serenity's lap and followed Mars outside, casting me a quick glance before Mars closed the door. I found the buckle that held the crude bracer to my arm and removed it for Queen Serenity to see.

She smiled warmly as she stood from her throne and approached us. I couldn't resist smiling back. "You've done Silver Millennium a great service, Charon. I'm very proud of you." I extended my arms so she could take the bracer from me. She ran her fingers across the brown leather until she touched the dark shard itself. I could see her eyes fill with terror and she dropped the bracer to the ground.

"Your highness!" shouted the Spymaster. She must have seen the visions of herself doing terrible things with dark magic, like I did when Luna gave me the dark shard to hold 1000 years later.

"I'm alright!" assured Queen Serenity after we both rushed to her side. She picked the bracer up off the ground by the leather strap. "I hope you can find a way to shield our informants. I don't feel comfortable having a dark shard in the Palace," she noted.

"Your highness, Charon helped me defeat the Warlock using this bracer. He was able to wield dark magic almost immediately after putting it on. Perhaps our own agents will be able to use it, as well," suggested the Spymaster.

Queen Serenity looked utterly appalled by his suggestion. "The use of dark magic is strictly forbidden!" she shouted.

"We can take measures to ensure that no one using the bracer can use dark magic against us! Even a handful of agents wielding the dark shard's powers can tip the scales against Queen Beryl, your highness!" the Spymaster insisted.

Queen Serenity placed her head in her hand and turned her back on us. She paced back and forth before facing us again. "We have to consider who can know about this very carefully," she decided. "Tensions are already high between us and the Kingdom of Earth. If they found out we were spying on them and breaking our own laws in the process..."

"I can have the bracer broken down and replicated without anyone learning its true purpose, your majesty," the Spymaster promised after Queen Serenity trailed off.

She turned back towards me. "Charon, there is something I meant to tell you before you left but I decided to wait until after you returned. It's about your father."

"What about my father?" I asked.

Serenity became sullen as she knelt in front of me. "Before you were born, your father broke one of our most important laws. As punishment, he was exiled from the Moon Kingdom."

I felt my eyes swelling with tears again. "What law did he break?" I asked.

Queen Serenity turned away, so the Spymaster answered: "personal relations between the people of both Kingdoms are strictly forbidden. Your father openly violated the law by bringing your Earthborn mother here. Because she was pregnant, Queen Serenity had your parents exiled as quietly as possible."

I glared at Queen Serenity as she still couldn't bring herself to look at me. "But you brought me here! You broke your own law!"

"Contact with the people of Earth is permissible under certain circumstances," noted the Spymaster. "In your case, it was necessary to ensure the protection of Silver Millennium."

"You're saying she didn't break the law because she only used me to get the bracer? Now I know what the Warlock meant when he said I wouldn't be welcome here!" I snapped.

Queen Serenity finally turned with sorrow flooding her eyes. She placed her hands on my shoulders, but now I refused to look at her. "I share the blame for the loss of your parents, I know that. Even as Queen, there are few things I can change on my own, but I will keep my promise to give you a home here. Silver Millennium still needs you. Princess Venus and Mars need you. Please..."

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into Charon's past! I've had this chapter in mind for a long time and have struggled over the best way to explore his past. I was going to wait until later or break it into pieces, but I decided knowing the origins of the Shadows would enhance the rest of the story rather than pull you away from it too much. I'm surprised I was able to stuff so much into one chapter. The next chapter will definitely contain more of Charon's past - depending on how things go, we may return to the present at the end of the next or somewhere in the middle of the one after. Stay tuned!


	29. Chapter 29: The Boy With The Hood

**Chapter 29: The Boy With The Hood**

**A/N**: Just to be clear, this is Part 2 of Charon's past life in Silver Millennium!

* * *

As I lingered in the past, I became less aware that I was observing events. I remembered when I found out the Sailor Scouts had lied to me about the bracer in the present and how close I came to walking away from them for good. Once again, I remained loyal to Silver Millennium. But after Queen Serenity told me that she exiled my father, I felt my veins filling with ice water again. She no longer appeared as an angel to me: I still saw her as a surrogate mother, but she had laid the foundations of my doubts.

I returned to Earth with the Spymaster to train as the bracer I had stolen for Silver Millennium was being copied and improved. I climbed and fell from trees until I could traverse an entire forest without touching the ground. I sparred with him until I surprised him with a karate chop to the neck or an open palm to the chest. I waited for hours until he let his guard down and I came up behind him. Occasionally, one of Beryl's patrols wandered near. Her forces grew stronger and more numerous with each day.

During our few moments of free time, the Spymaster asked me how I felt when I wielded the bracer. I told him it was hard to explain: it was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I saw the dark kernel that was in the future Spymaster's eyes, but it hadn't sprouted. He still held a grudging respect for Queen Serenity and the Moon Kingdom that he had devoted his life to. Maybe he even started to care about me, in his own way.

The rare moments I was separate from him, my thoughts drifted back to my parents. I wondered if my mother was suffering in a horrible black fortress like the one I had visited, or if she had found peace with my father. I tried to picture my return to Silver Millennium with my father. Would he have been proud of me for defending the Moon Kingdom? Or would he have despised the fact that I served the woman that cast him out?

These thoughts became a burden and the Spymaster noticed I was falling behind on my training, so I tried to banish them. Instead, I thought of Queen Serenity and Princess Mars. I thought the most about Princess Venus and finally becoming the charming and social prince who would sweep her off her feet. When I remembered Queen Serenity saying that she had a daughter I tried to picture her. I thought she would be beautiful, poised, graceful and wise beyond her years.

_Boy, was I off the mark._

Weeks later, Queen Serenity told us to return to the Moon Palace. Sailor Mercury stood guard at the throne room door. "Queen Serenity will be with you in a minute," she told us. For the first time, it seemed like a Princess was more afraid of me than I was of her. She also seemed shy, but she summed up the courage to look at me and smile politely. "You're the boy with the hood. Sailor Mars and Venus told the rest of us about you."

"They did? How many of you did they tell?" I felt myself shaking a bit. Now that I knew them all in the present, I knew they were just excited about a new boy frequenting the palace...but my past self was terrified to think of what they were saying about me.

Seeing me frightened seemed to calm her nerves a bit and her smile appeared more genuine. "Just myself, Sailor Jupiter and Princess Serenity. We're all very close." Sailor Mercury then sighed. "I've read so much about Earth. What's it like?"

"It's far larger than the Moon. It has forests filled with trees and deserts with sand as far as the eye can see. It has cliffs and waterfalls - " The Spymaster interrupted me with a nudge. I wasn't supposed to make Earth sound appealing. "B-but there's also horrible monsters with sharp teeth and jaws wide enough to swallow you whole, plus the weather goes from blistering heat to freezing cold in an instant. Most of the people there aren't very nice either, that's why I watch them from a distance."

"So you didn't pick up your accent from there?" Sailor Mercury asked.

"I, um, didn't realize I had an accent."

"Yes, you do!" she laughed. "Where are you from?"

"The Moon," I blurted out. _What was taking Queen Serenity so long?_

Sailor Mercury giggled. "Yes, I know. Where specifically?"

"Eden." I gave her the answer that the Spymaster told me to give.

"You don't have an Eden accent," she noticed. She was still smiling, but I broke into a nervous sweat.

"I didn't know I had one."

"Of course you do! In fact, I've never heard an accent quite like yours before!"

"My mother's from somewhere else. Maybe the two of them blended together!" I suggested. The Spymaster turned his back on us: no doubt to get a message to Queen Serenity to hurry up.

"Where is she from?" Sailor Mercury asked innocently. The Spymaster hadn't gone into detail about the Moon's geography. I thought of telling her I didn't know, but the Spymaster told me to always have an answer, so I came up with a name out of thin air.

"Managata!"

One of Sailor Mercury's eyes grew wider than the other and her mouth straightened out. "There was no Managata on the official census report," she said.

I made one last-ditch effort to deflect her questions. "You wouldn't have. It's a tiny and obscure village far away from here."

But there was just no fooling Sailor Mercury. "The Bureau is very meticulous when it comes to the census. I should tell them that they made a mistake." Just when I figured I was screwed, her communicator started bleeped and Queen Serenity told her to send us inside immediately. _That was way too close._

Sailor Mercury bowed and reintroduced us to the Queen. Mercury smiled at me. Her questions had been completely innocent and she wasn't suspicious...yet. "It was nice to finally meet you. I look forward to continuing our conversation."

"Me too, Princess!" I lied and laughed nervously until she left.

Queen Serenity stood from her throne. "I apologize for the wait, Charon. Princess Mercury is a very bright and curious young woman. I'll tell the Bureau that we've discovered a new village!" she teased.

"We should minimize his interactions with the Sailor Scouts in the future," said the Spymaster. I felt my heart drop as he shattered my dream of making friends in the Moon Palace. I didn't even get to tell Sailor Venus my name.

"I'm afraid he's right, Charon. We can't risk someone from the Palace blowing your cover. Hopefully, I'll be able to formally introduce you to them when the threat has ended," assured Queen Serenity. The Spymaster's eyes lit up when Queen Serenity presented the new bracers to us. The replicas were made out of silver, engraved with cleanly cut dark shards. Cold and smooth on the inside, they were more comfortable to wear than the Warlock's crude contraption. Considering dark magic was banned, I wondered where Queen Serenity found extra dark shards from. I didn't ask her, though.

"I took note of your recommendations," Queen Serenity said to the Spymaster. "Wearing this bracer, you will not be able to use your powers inside the Moon Kingdom or against a member of my court. If you suspect that someone here is under the influence of Queen Beryl or the Negaforce, come straight to me."

"What's the Negaforce?" I asked.

"An evil entity that holds Queen Beryl under her power," explained the Spymaster. Something about the Spymaster calling something 'evil' struck a chord with me. "I will recall our remaining informants to the Moon Kingdom, vet them for reassignment, and take up the responsibility of training them. With the bracer, I should become adept with my new powers quickly."

"Don't be too proud to ask Charon for guidance," teased Queen Serenity. "After all, he is your leader."

I stared at the Spymaster. "I thought he was my leader!"

"I will support your mission by recruiting future Shadows and leading covert actions when direct force is necessary. But my undercover days are over Charon," explained the Spymaster. "You have a lot to learn, but you grew up on Earth. You understand your people in ways that even I cannot. Besides, you now have a number of administrative duties that I do not envy."

Queen Serenity laughed. "Remember your cover. You are my researcher, one of very few Lunarians permitted on Earth. You will come back regularly to debrief me on your activities." Queen Serenity turned her back on me again. "I wish we could celebrate your ascension, but no one outside this room can know your true identity. From now on, you lead the Shadows of the Moon Kingdom, my eyes and ears on Earth. You are the Spymaster. You report only to me."

"I won't let you down, your majesty," I promised...

* * *

That became a tough promise to keep. After the Spymaster revealed his secret underground hideout and transferred it to me, he told me that our mission was restricted to gathering intelligence. We were not to take direct action against the enemy. Queen Beryl's forces had grown bold: they sacked entire cities, burned homes, and made public examples of anyone who refused to swear allegiance to their ruler. But the Kingdom of Earth or Queen Serenity did nothing. My feelings toward the elite beginning to fester and darken: holed up in their Palaces, they had no idea how bad things were on Earth. It was like they didn't want to know, or they just saw the rest of us as an inconvenience.

As I lost track of the days, my only consolation was that I had the hideout's master computer to tinker with. I wanted to act against Queen Beryl on my own, but recruiting new Shadows from the Moon Kingdom was a daunting task. When the time came to compile my first report back to Queen Serenity, I only received a half dozen others...either my companion had only found six new recruits, or someone sent me extra. Queen Serenity did not reply when I sent my report on the rapid growth of Beryl's forces, accompanied with an urgent request for action. My future successor echoed my frustration and complaints when he visited me to explain his failure to find new recruits.

"There are barely enough soldiers to guard the Palace. Even amongst the lower classes, the Moon Kingdom has become decadent and lazy. First, the majority gave whatever power they had to the nobility in exchange for security, then the nobles gave their power to the Queen so they could devote themselves to partying and dancing!" he complained.

"There are thousands of people just like me imprisoned. If only we could recruit them..."

My companion shook his head. "Queen Serenity declined. You were an exception. Besides, we have nothing to offer them."

But I still hadn't given up on her. "Queen Serenity said things would change after the fighting ended. My father was an exile and my mother was a human, yet she made me Spymaster! Maybe we can change things from the inside!"

"She made you Spymaster out of necessity, not out of a desire for change. But I suppose time will tell," he conceded.

"We need to take action ourselves."

"I agree. Queen Serenity is reluctant to intervene directly in the affairs of Earth. But if we can prove that Queen Beryl has infiltrated the royal court, she will have to act. There will be a ball in Elysion tonight. Earth's Crown Prince Endymion will be in attendance. I will be able to accompany you and we can search for potential traitors."

I felt myself roll my eyes. "Beryl's forces are rampaging in their backyard, and they're having a party?!"

"It's the same at the Moon Palace, Charon. Dances and fireworks every night to keep the nobility distracted."

"Why should I protect the Moon Kingdom if they won't protect themselves?"

"You volunteered to protect a kingdom that only exists inside your head," the future Spymaster bluntly answered after I expressed my frustration. "Come, we'll need to get you a suit..."

The capital of Earth was a beautiful and peaceful place, but I was not filled with the same amazement that I was when I saw the Moon Palace. I was disgusted: how could the people here be so oblivious and self-centered? As I watched them wearing nice clothes, laughing and dancing while soothing music played, all I could think about was the fortress that I had been held and the hell my mother could be going through right now. _Queen Beryl's intentions may have been pure evil, but maybe something positive can come from it. Either the nobles will realize they need to treat people better or they'll lose all of this..._

"Hey! Watch the dress!" cried a teenage girl when I nearly stepped on her gown. I instinctively bowed and apologized, staring at the bottom of her white regal dress. "And people say I'm clumsy!"

Butterflies began fluttering in my stomach when I saw her face. The words "Princess Venus?" escaped from my lips. She also had blonde hair and blue eyes, but I recognized Serena by her meatball head.

She abruptly dropped her frown and arms. "You're not from the Moon, are you?"

"You're Princess Serenity!" I realized. Having seen more of her mother, I saw the resemblance.

Serena gasped, then grabbed my wrist and waist and pulled me around. She must have recognized the Spymaster because she used me to hide herself as he walked past. She whispered "I saw you with Mercury! You're the new researcher my friends were talking about! I thought you always wore a hood and studied boring stuff like dirt and rocks!"

"This party's pretty boring, sounds right up my alley!" I joked.

"I could get you in trouble for saying that!" she whispered louder as we pretended to dance.

"I could get you in more trouble by telling your mother that you were here!" I shot back.

"I'm just visiting a friend!" she pouted. "I'll tell you what: you don't tell my mother and I won't tell Venus we talked! She's already jealous that you only said two words to her!"

_Damn. Princess Serenity read me like an open book_. My face burned red. Prince Endymion - none other than Darien - marched towards us. He wore black and gray armor with a cape and a sword hanging on his side. He politely bowed to me. "Good evening, sir. I would like to ask for this lady's hand during the next dance."

If I had control over my actions, I might have burst out laughing at such an easy-going guy like Darien acting all formal. Princess Serenity and I practically pushed each other off. "Of course," I said. I politely bowed and she curtsied in return. I saw a blonde-haired man with piercing blue eyes and a gray military dress uniform eying the Prince from a distance. I had a bad feeling about him, and the Spymaster was nowhere to be seen, so I confronted him.

"Dull party, isn't it?" he asked me. He was roughly my height, less than an inch shorter. He must have known why had I approached him because he quickly bowed to me and said, "I am Jedite. I am one of the Crown Prince's guardians and generals."

I returned his bow. "Hello, Commander." I found the Spymaster talking to three similarly-dressed figures at the opposite end of the party.

"I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. I was not watching you. We are always on the lookout for the Moon Kingdom's spies. These parties make the Prince an easy target, but he will not listen."

"The Moon's spies?" I asked. "Are they the most pressing threat?"

"Perhaps you've heard rumors about Queen Beryl?" he asked. "I assure you: the stories about her brutality are Lunarian propaganda. She is not our enemy. She is doing Earth a great service!"

"Does the Crown Prince agree?" I asked.

He was so focused on watching the Prince dancing with Princess Serenity, that he was paying little mind to our conversation. "He doesn't believe that Queen Serenity would spy on him without his knowledge. Lately, he's been distracted. I think it's that woman," he sighed.

The Spymaster tapped me on the shoulder. "I must speak with you."

"Best wishes to you and the Prince, Commander," I bowed. He nodded politely with his eyes still glued on Prince Endymion. The Spymaster and I moved away from prying eyes. "They regard us as the enemy, not Queen Beryl! If they're not in her camp yet, they will be soon!"

"The other three held similar sentiments," said the Spymaster. "You must report to Queen Serenity immediately."

"Stay behind and see if you can get any more information out of them," I ordered.

* * *

I left the party, ducked into a shrub and transformed into a Shadow. I felt myself looking over my robes, noticing the added tweaks like the addition of crescent moons. I did not encounter any of Beryl's soldiers, but just before I opened the door to my hideout, I heard a twig snap several feet away from me. In a blink, I teleported behind where I heard the noise. I found myself facing Princess Serenity's back in a shrub.

"What are you doing here?!" I whispered. She screamed and jumped, but I pulled her back down when I heard chatter in the distance.

"I told you - we've all taken an interest in you!" she teased. She picked the worst possible time to follow me: one of Queen Beryl's patrols was coming this way. I couldn't leave the Moon Princess out here, even if it blew my cover.

I told her to wait, then quietly opened the underground passage to my hideout. "Come on!" I motioned for her to hurry.

"I take back what I said, I wanna study the ground too!" she naively remarked before I pushed her down inside. The lights came on when we entered the cave.

My computer terminal hummed to life and Vigil's holographic Shadow took form. "Online. Welcome back, Spymaster. Ooohhh! Hey, foxy la-day!" he cheered.

I ran over and fumbled for the off button. " I'm still tweaking my computer's personality matrix. And the recognition software," I mumbled.

A mischievous twinkle shined in Princess Serenity's eyes. "A simple researcher who won't tell us his name, attends dances with royalty, and has an underground base with a supercomputer?"

_Damn. _"It's Charon, alright?! Please, no more questions!"

Princess Serenity's naive eyes sparkled. "My friends were right! You are hiding something, and we're going to find out what!"

"I'm sure you and the Sailor Scouts have better things to do with your time, Princess." I tried my hardest to feign a disinterested monotone. For her, finding out my identity was like finding out my crush: she couldn't grasp the seriousness of what she was stumbling into. Then again, the word 'serious' likely wasn't in her vocabulary.

"You can call me Serena if you want to," she smiled. Like it or not, I finally made a friend from the Moon Kingdom. "And nope, we have plenty of time for mysterious guys!"

I had no doubt that they did. Princess Serenity and the Sailor Scouts were so innocent at the time. I wanted to shelter them; I didn't want them to have the same experiences I did. But at the same time, I asked myself: would Queen Serenity exile her own daughter if she found out about her secret romance with the Prince of Earth? Or did another set of rules apply to her?

**To Be Continued**

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**A/N: **And that's Part 2 of Charon's past! There will be one more part before we return to the present day. It was tough deciding what to fit in - first I struggled with filling the middle, then I had to cut a few parts - but I enjoyed writing this chapter! I wanted to give Sailor Mercury more time with Charon in the present day, so I'm glad I got to have a scene with them in the past. And it's always fun writing Serena's parts! As always, looking forward to your reviews and notes!


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